Beauty of the Dark
by EdenRoses
Summary: With the hopes of starting fresh, seventeen year old Lucy Adams moves to Mystic Falls, the town where her parents grew up. She is forced to confront her past as she learns that the secrets of Mystic Falls are even darker than the ones she carries. Eventual OC/Damon. Loosely inspired by AmericanHoney12's "Pretty Girl" fic.
1. Chapter 1 - Begin Again

**A/N: Hi everyone! Before we begin, I want to credit one of my inspirations for this story, user AmericanHoney12's fic "Pretty Girl." It's an abandoned fic where I truly loved a lot of elements of her story and wanted to incorporate some of them into my story. I'm disclosing this in case you've read that story and things start to sound familiar. I'm NOT copying her entire plot, story, characters, etc. **

**I also won't be following the episodes in exact detail, however I will be using them as a guideline for big events and plot points. If you'd like to pin point where this story begins, it's roughly in between Season 1 Episode 14 and 15. Happy reading!**

**Beauty of the Dark now has an official trailer on YouTube. The link is on my profile, or you can search for it. The video name is "Beauty of the Dark {The Vampire Diaries} | Official FanFiction Trailer" & my channel name is Eden Roses.**

* * *

_Song: Begin Again_

_Artist: Measure _

_Wake up  
To sun  
'Cause morning  
Does come_

_If all you can rely on is  
The feel of your feet on the wet floor.  
If all you can depend on is all movement gives you some direction then_

_Begin again  
You're no calendar  
You're no concrete plan  
Begin again  
Don't waste your time waiting for someone to tell you that_

I sat on the edge of the bare mattress and gazed around the room. Without any of the posters on the wall or socks on the floor it almost felt like just a room. There was no sign that someone sat up late at the desk in the corner struggling over their math homework, or that they watched endless shows on Netflix while sitting on this very bed, and the pencil marks in the doorway marking height that indicated that someone quite literally grew up in this room had been painted over.

How does one even say goodbye to their childhood home? This house saw me grow from the days where I was teetering around in a diaper, just barely learning how to walk, to the days where I would tip toe along the hallway, trying not to wake my parents as I snuck in past curfew. The good days, the bad days, and every other day in between had all happened here, and now I was supposed to just leave?

"Lucy? Lucy where are you?" My mom's footsteps echoed through the hall. "LU- Oh honey what are you doing in here."

I looked at the floor. "I just. . . wanted to be in here one last time."

"Honey," Mom reached out and placed her hand on my shoulder. "I know it hurts to say goodbye. But I really think this move will be good for you. For all of us."

"You guys keep saying that, but it really feels like we're just running away." I confessed.

"We aren't running away Lucy. It's just. . . this house." Mom sighed. "Don't think of it as running away. Think of it as moving forward."

"You're right. You and dad must be excited about returning to the town where you grew up." I forced a smile. "And it _will_ be nice to go to a school where people don't stare at me like I have eleven heads. I mean I don't expect to be miss popular in Mystic Falls. But it'll at least be a fresh start."

"Lucy honey, look at yourself." Mom turned towards the mirror above the dresser. "Of course you'll be popular. You're beautiful. More importantly, you're kind, and smart, and-"

Classic mom, turning everything into a pep talk. I cut her off by putting my hand over her shoulder, and silently examined myself in the mirror. Parents always think their kids are the most beautiful, they don't see you the way other kids see you, or the way you see yourself. The way she talked made it sound like I was America's Next Top Model, and while I knew I wasn't exactly a beast to look at, I also knew that I wasn't anything special. On most days, my dark brown curls were untamable and formed a cascade of frizz around my face. My eyes, while at least a nice round shape, were brown- the most basic color. To top it all off, I was just tall enough for it to be a little bit awkward. But sure mom, I'll automatically be popular right when I get to Mystic Falls. Because that's how high school works.

I shifted by eyes up to meet my mother's in the reflection. Now she was truly stunning. Even with the lines and bags that started to emerge around her steely eyes, and the grey that peppered her dirty blonde hair, she was an elegant woman that exuded grace. I always wished that I could've taken after her, but that just wasn't possible. I squeezed her hand, our eyes communicating what was left unsaid between us.

"Come on, Lucy." She patted my shoulder. "We should get going, the movers are waiting on us so they can load up the last of our things."

Giving one last glance around the shell of the bedroom that had been empty for months, I got up and walked down the hall to my bedroom, grabbing my last suitcase and backpack. I threw them in the back of my mom's SUV, and dug my headphones out of my pocket, ready to sit back and try to enjoy the two hour drive to Mystic Falls.

* * *

_Wake up  
To sun  
'Cause morning still comes_

_So move around your furniture  
Or put it all out on the curb  
And drive away to something new  
Yeah, watch the skylight sink behind you and_

_Begin again  
You're no calendar  
You're no concrete plan  
Begin again_

I must've dozed off, as I woke up to my mom nudging me. I took one of my headphones out and blinked groggily at her.

"We're here honey."

Even if I hadn't just woken up, I'm not sure I would've been able to find words. We were driving up a tree-lined driveway towards a gigantic white home. It was two stories, with six massive columns running along the front porches that took up both stories. The windows were uniform and tall, encompassed by deep forest green shutters. It was a true southern manor- beyond exceeding my expectations.

As someone with a passion for most things visual, my parents had refused to let me house hunt with them, as they were concerned I would hinder the process. Actually, I believe the words were something like: _Lucy, you'll nitpick every little detail and it will be an absolute nightmare_. But I digress. As such, this was my first time seeing my new home.

A genuine smile spread across my face. "Mom it's- wow. I knew you guys wouldn't pick something modest but . . . wow."

I don't think I closed my mouth in the entire time that it took my mom to park the car and for us to walk up the front porch. We opened the front door to find the movers being directed as to where to place the first boxes.

"DAD!" I yelled, running towards the man standing in the entryway, putting his phone in his pocket. He had to get here a week before us due to a case he was assigned at his new firm, but it felt like it had been longer since I had seen him.

"Cupcake!" He wrapped me in a hug, and I buried my face in his suit jacket. "How was your nap on the way here?"

"How'd you know I took a nap?" I asked, pulling back.

"You've fallen asleep in every car ride longer than an hour since you were five." He grinned. "How do you like the new house?"

"Who wouldn't like this house?" I exclaimed. "Where's my room?"

"Come on upstairs, I'll show you." He replied.

He guided me up the stairs and towards the first room on the right of the hallway. I immediately ran and jumped on to the bed, the only piece of furniture so far.

"Do you like it?" Dad asked.

I buried my face in the comforter. "It's even better in person."

There were a few pieces of furniture, mainly antiques, from our old house that Mom and Dad wanted to keep, but in spirit of starting fresh they decided that we could buy mostly new furniture for the house. It was a win for me, as I now had the opportunity to nudge them towards some pieces of furniture that fit my personal interior design preferences. For my bedroom, I had chosen an upholstered grey bed frame with a simple white comforter. It really was even better in person; it contrasted the ebony floors beautifully.

"I'm glad you like it. I promise we'll take you furniture shopping tomorrow, and have you feeling settled in by Monday." Dad reached out to ruffle my hair. "Now why don't you go grab some of you boxes and bring them up here, if you leave the movers to it alone they'll be spending eight hours just dragging your clothes up here."

I laughed, and bounded back downstairs to bring some of my things to my bedroom.

* * *

_Don't waste your time waiting for someone to tell you when_  
_Begin again_  
_Cause walking outdoors only works if you show them_  
_Begin again_  
_And quit looking backwards and know where you have been_

_Begin again_  
_You're no calendar_  
_You're no concrete plan_  
_Begin again_  
_Don't waste your time_  
_Cause no one's gonna tell you when_

I wiped a drop of sweat from my brow and stood back to admire my work. The closet in my bedroom was huge, practically big enough for me to lie down in every direction, and despite my dad's exaggerations as to how many clothes I owned, I would actually have to go shopping to fill it completely. I was relieved to have all my clothes unpacked at least, as it would make it easier to pick out my first day of school outfit.

I traipsed back down the stairs for the millionth time today to find my parents leaning over the kitchen counter, looking at couches on one of their laptops.

"I know you guys aren't looking at couches without me." I teased. "You'd better consult me before buying one. I refuse to sit on a patchwork sofa ever again in my life."

Dad looked up at me and nodded. "Don't worry, we know we'd never hear the end of it if we didn't consult you."

"Good. Can we eat? I'm starving." My stomach growled in agreement.

"Oh honey," Mom brought a hand to her forehead. "I completely forgot about dinner. I meant to stop by the grocery store earlier, you know what why don't we just go now?"

"I think it closed at eight." My dad reached into one of the kitchen drawers. "Tell you what cupcake, I grabbed a menu from a restaurant in town the other night, why don't you look it over and we can order carry out from there?"

"Sounds great." I smiled, taking the piece of paper to look over.

I decided on a flatbread, and in true fashion my mom ordered a salad and my dad a burger. The woman on the phone told us our order would be ready in about half an hour.

"Where are my keys?" I asked. "I can go pick it up."

Dad had taken my car with him a week ago, and I was itching to drive it again. From the drive in, I could tell that the town was rather small and quaint, however I was still looking forward to checking it out. Truthfully, I always enjoyed solo night drives as well. Something about them had always felt so relaxing to me. For most of my life, that is.

Mom frowned. "Honey, why don't I drive? You're more than welcome to come with me, but it's dark and you don't know the town and. . ."

"Mom." I interjected. "This town is practically the size of our old backyard, and even if I do get lost I have my phone with me. Please? I miss driving my car."

My mom exchanged glances with my dad, who subtly nodded and reached in his pocket to hand me my keys. I practically jumped up and down.

"Text us when you get there and when you're on your way home." Dad instructed. "_Please_ drive safely."

"I will. I promise." I hugged both of them, and gave my dad a kiss on the cheek.

I took in a long breath as I got behind the wheel of my car. It still had that new leather smell. The engine let out something between a purr and a roar as I turned it on, and I closed my eyes and sighed. I was thankful for a lot of things that my parents were able to give me, but I was especially thankful for my Mustang. Not a lot of people get their dream car ever, let alone at seventeen.

The streets of the town were abhorrently quiet for 8:30 on a Friday night. I peered at the houses as I drove past, trying to catch a glimpse of the people that were now neighbors, and potentially my future friends. One house in particular caught my eye and caused me to slow to a stop. I examined the red brick and the black door, letting out a sigh at the sight of the house. I allowed myself to linger for a moment before turning the volume of my radio up and continuing on.

I finally arrived at the restaurant, guided by an illuminated orange sign in the window. The exterior of the restaurant was a painted green brick that contrasted the orange glow of the sign quite nicely. So far, Mystic Falls appeared to be a charming little town, albeit a quiet one. I pulled into a spot right by the door, and double tapped the lock button on my keys as I walked inside.

"Welcome to The Mystic Grill, how can I help you?" A perky girl at the hostess stand asked me.

"Hi, I placed an order for carry out, it should be under Peter Adams?" I said.

"Oh hi hun, your food should be ready in just a few minutes. Why don't you have a seat at the bar there and Matt will help you out when your food's ready." She smiled.

I walked over to the bar where a tall boy was drying a few glasses. _God damn_. I did a quick scan of him; he had well kept reddish blonde hair and toned muscles that were accentuated by the dark t-shirt with the restaurant's logo on the chest. He had an overall air of boyish charm about him, and was quite a catch, especially considering that he was the first boy I had seen here in town.

"Hey how can I help you?" He asked, with a smile that was just as warm as I would have expected from his appearance.

"I'm here to pick up an order for Peter Adams and the hostess told me to wait here." I replied.

"Gotcha, why don't you have a seat and I'll go check on that for you, could I get you a water or anything while you wait?" He offered.

"I'm all good thank you." I couldn't help but smile as I watched him walk into the kitchen.

The bar was mostly empty, save for a man drinking alone. I chose a stool a couple seats down, and turned to observe the man that I assumed was the town drunk. His dark hair obscured his face, so I couldn't make out much, but the leather jacket and long haircut gave off the stereotypical bad boy vibe. He turned to look at me, and seemed a bit taken aback as he examined me. I quickly averted my eyes, embarrassed that I was so obviously staring at this stranger.

"Well hello there." He attempted to sit up straight. "New in town?"

I rolled my eyes. "Is this town so small that you can spot a new person as soon as they walk into a restaurant?"

"Lets just say I've lived here a while." He grinned and leaned towards me. "What's your name?"

I looked back at him, and found myself at a loss for words as I made eye contact with him. His eyes were the most piercing blue I had ever seen on another human. Their iciness was only accentuated by the darkness of his hair and brows. The bartender was cute, but this man was strikingly handsome. Everything about him was almost unnervingly perfect. _Holy hell_. What was in the water here?

"So they don't have names where you're from, got it." He took a sip of the amber liquid in his glass.

"Oh. Name. It's Lucy." I stammered as I snapped out of my thoughts. "I'm sorry I just- I . . ."

"Have never seen someone so devilishly handsome in your entire life? It's okay, happens all the time." He smirked as he took another sip. "So what brings you to Mystic Falls, _Lucy_?"

The way he said my name sent chills down my spine. God I needed to get it together. "I just moved here. Dad got offered a job at the law firm and my parents grew up here, so it made sense for us to come back."

"Bo-ring." He sang out. "I was hoping you were someone from animal control here to do something about all the attacks lately."

"Attacks?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, attacks. Animal attacks. This town is absolutely riddled with them." He explained. "Come on, do your research. You move somewhere and you don't even do one Google search?"

"Wow I had no idea." I shifted my gaze to the bottles behind the bar. The bartender emerged from the kitchen carrying a plastic bag, interrupting our conversation.

"Here you are Miss Adams, that should be everything for you." I handed him my dad's credit card. "Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"No thank you I think I'm all set." I stood up as he handed me the card with a receipt, which I promptly shoved in my pocket.

"Well in that case, you have yourself a lovely rest of the evening, and don't be a stranger here, okay?" He shot me one last smile before walking back into the kitchen.

The stranger downed his glass and threw a bill on the counter.

"Anyways Lucy, since you clearly are unaware of the dangers of Mystic Falls, why don't you let me take you home?" He suggested.

"I have my car, but thanks." I shifted uncomfortably at the blatant offer from a stranger, but tried to brush it off as small town friendliness. As I turned to go towards the door, he stopped me with a hand on my arm.

"Let me take you home." I stared into his eyes and could have sworn I saw his pupils dilate as he spoke to me.

"Like I said, I have my car." I refused. "And I'm pretty sure you've had too much to drink to be driving yourself around, let alone another person."

His brow furrowed as he looked me up and down, confused. I could tell he wasn't used to rejection, which made sense given his striking appearance. "I have a high tolerance. Let me at least walk you to your car then."

I sighed in resignation, and let him trail me to the door. I wasn't an idiot; I knew he was hitting on me. He wasn't exactly being subtle about it, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't make my heart flutter just a bit. On any other night, his brash persistence likely would have earned a snarky comment from me, or perhaps even a shove if he didn't take the hint, but something about him intrigued me. He was clearly way too old, and way too irresponsible for me, but I could indulge myself in the attention from a handsome stranger while it lasted.

"So do you always spend your Friday nights drinking alone at the bar?" I teased. "Or is that just your method of picking up girls?"

"No, it's my method of coping with finding out the girl I love has been lying to me for a long time and doesn't actually care about me at all." He retorted.

I paused, shocked at his blatant reply, and examined the pained expression on his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

I trailed off, knowing I was just going to say something even more stupid if I kept talking. I unlocked my car, letting the beeping sound fill the awkward silence. His eyes shifted from my car back to the hostess inside, who was eyeing him with a jealous expression on her face. Not that I could blame her.

"Right next to the door?" He commented.

"Ten minute parking." I pointed to the sign and held up my bag. "Carry out only."

He nodded. "So who'd you steal this car from? No way it's yours."

I opened the door and set the bag in the passenger seat. "Yes way, it is mine."

"Huh, your car gives mine a run for it's money." He gestured towards a classic blue Camaro parked further down and wiggled his eyebrows. "Last chance to go for a ride."

I felt my face flush at his persistence. "I'm not getting in a car with you. But I will give you my number."

I reached into the glove compartment for a pen, and scrawled my number on the crinkled up receipt from my pocket. I handed it to him, and his hand touched mine. I looked up, feeling jolted by the contact, to find him staring intently at me. His eyes were so intense his gaze was almost scary. I felt like . . . like prey. Another chill ran up my spine.

"Cold?" He asked. "Why don't you take my jacket."

"No that's okay I'm just-" He had already slid off his jacket and began to place it around my shoulders. "How will I get it back to you?"

"I'll find you." He stated, and turned to walk away from me, leaving me dumbfounded. He held up the paper I had handed him between two fingers and turned over his shoulder. "I have your number, remember?"

"Wait!" I called after him. "What's your name? I never got it."

He stopped for a second. "I'm Damon."

I leaned against my car, staring as he walked back to his car, and stayed transfixed as he drove away. Only after his car had disappeared on the road did I turn and get into mine. I placed both hands on the steering wheel, and looked straight ahead.

"Damon." I whispered.

* * *

Exhausted from a day of unpacking, I was thrilled to spend my first night in my new bed. As I rested my head on my pillow, my mind was filled with thoughts of the mysterious man with the piercing blue eyes and the black leather jacket. Sleep quickly overtook me, however, and my dreams carried me far away from my thoughts of the handsome stranger I had met only a few hours prior.

_I walked away from the house with tears in my eyes, shoving the piece of paper in my pocket. I slammed the car door as I got in, and hit the steering wheel with frustration._

_"__You're kidding me," Brandon said, "He didn't want to talk to you?"_

_I shook my head, "No, he wasn't even there."_

_"__Oh, well he's got to come back then, right?" Brandon asked._

_"__No," I sniffed, "He's gone for good. He left town." _

_Brandon put a hand on my shoulder, "You can still find him, Luc. Just keep looking, ask someone if-" _

_"__NO." I said, "I can't keep looking. He didn't want me anyways. I have to let it go." _

_I choked out a sob, and Brandon pulled me in for a hug. We just sat like that, me sobbing as I stared back at the house, and Brandon trying to comfort me. It was no use. There's nothing that can make up for the feeling of being unwanted. _


	2. Chapter 2 - Black Hearts On Fire

**A/N: Posting this a little sooner than I was expecting as I have a few chapters already written and I wanted to make sure I keep everyone engaged. I'll probably be posting once a week from here on out so I can pace myself and make sure I always have a quality chapter ready to read. Feel free to leave me a comment letting me know if there's a day of the week you'd prefer I upload. Thanks for the nice reviews on the previous chapter! I was worried people would be annoyed that I'm drawing inspiration from Pretty Girl. - XO, Eden.**

* * *

_Song: Black Hearts (On Fire)_

_Artist: Jet_

_When I make it, I'll be on time  
Gonna take what I want and give you a piece of my mind_

_Your black hearts waited too long,  
Just to see me fall down, fall down, fall down  
Your black hearts won't be around, just to see me fall down_

_Your hearts on fire, so come on, burn brighter  
Your hearts on fire, so come on, burn brighter_

_Your hearts on fire, but your cold to the touch  
I know you want it but you love yourself too much  
Your hearts on fire but your head is a rut  
You best believe it, I ain't ever giving up_

I groaned as my alarm clock went off. It would've been nice to have more than two days to settle in before starting school, but moving in the middle of the school year doesn't really leave you that option. I reluctantly got up and headed over to my closet to pick something to wear. I settled on jeans and a striped sweater, and my favorite pair of converse.

"Hi mom, hi dad!" I said, finding the two of them sipping coffee in the kitchen as I came downstairs.

"Hi honey, are you excited for your first day of school?" My mom asked.

"Excited and school are two words that never pair together." I said, pouring coffee into my thermos, "But I'm hoping it'll be a good day. What about you mom, any big plans today?"

"Nothing too exciting, but I did run into an old friend from high school at the store yesterday and we have plans to get coffee later." Mom smiled.

"Oh yeah, thanks for the reminder to swing by the school library and see if I can find yearbooks that document how dorky you two were back in the day." I teased.

"Anything to get you into a library." Dad chuckled, "But your mother was just as beautiful back then as she is today, so you might be disappointed at the lack of embarrassing photos."

I fake gagged, and went over to hug both of them.

"Aren't you going to get some breakfast?" Mom asked.

I held up my thermos, "Coffee is the best breakfast. Love you both, see you after school!"

I grabbed my keys and went out to my car. I glanced at the jacket on my passenger seat, the only reminder that I didn't dream up the beautiful stranger I met at the Mystic Grill. I left it there to avoid questioning from my mom, and wasn't quite sure what to do with it. Damon still hadn't called. I figured he would at some point, because it was a nice jacket, but his interest in me must've been chalked up to the liquor.

Heads turned towards me as I maneuvered into a parking space at Mystic Falls High. One girl in particular, a blonde, narrowed her eyes at me as I got out of my car. I'd be lying if I said I didn't love to make an entrance. It was apparent that not a lot happened at this school, and that "new girl showing up in a sports car" would be most interesting thing to happen this month.

I managed to get to my classroom right as the bell rang, thanks to the guidance from the secretary who helped me get my schedule. I walked up to the teacher to introduce myself.

"Hi I'm Lucy Adams," I said, "I'm new."

"Wow am I the luckiest guy in the world or what?" The teacher stood up to greet me, "I start here in the middle of the semester and still manage to get someone else to take over the role of "new person" for me."

"You're new too?" I asked.

"Accident with the old history teacher. But don't worry, I'm at least partially qualified to be teaching this class." He reached out to shake my hand, "Mr. Saltzman."

I smiled, he seemed a lot nicer than the teachers at my old school, "Pleasure to meet you."

"Tell you what, most of the kids sit in the same seat every day, why don't you go sit at the empty desk next to Ms. Gilbert?" Mr. Saltzman suggested.

I gulped and looked around, "Mi-Miss Gilbert?"

"Right over there." Mr. Saltzman gestured.

I made eye contact with who I presumed to be Miss Gilbert, and she lifted her hand to give me a small wave. I shuffled over to her and took my seat. She was beautiful, her hair was a deep brown like mine but instead of frizzy curls her locks were perfectly smooth and straight. She had large brown doe eyes that lit up as she gave me a warm smile.

"Alright class, as I'm sure you've all noticed we've got a new person with us today. Why don't you introduce yourself?" Mr. Saltzman suggested.

"Hi everyone, I'm Lucy Adams." I said, as all eyes in the classroom turned towards me. "I'm from Lynchburg but my parents grew up here, and uh. . . yeah."

Mr. Saltzman nodded, "Thank you Lucy. Alright lets get started with todays lesson which you should be easy to follow along with if you did last nights reading."

I tried to follow along with Mr. Saltzman's lecture on the Battle of Verdun, but I ended up alternating between assessing my classmates around me, and drawing amorphous blobs in my notebook. Despite my boredom, the bell rang soon enough. I turned to say something to the girl next to me, but all I saw was her brown hair swishing behind her as she quickly walked out of the classroom.

I saw her again before lunch, leaned up against the lockers talking to a girl I recognized as the blonde who was glaring at me earlier, and a taller boy I didn't recognize. I caught her eye as she passed, and she waved to me.

"Hey new girl!" She called, "It's Lucy right? We have history together. This is my best friend Caroline and my boyfriend Stefan."

I studied the trio. Caroline looked like your stereotypical popular girl, with perfectly curled blonde hair and an equally put together outfit to boot. Stefan was unlike anyone I had ever seen before. His face structure was intense, with thick eyebrows and beautiful green eyes that had a touch of darkness behind them. He was mysterious and entrancing- if she hadn't just said he was her boyfriend, I would've let my eyes linger on him longer.

"Nice to meet you." I said. Stefan just nodded.

"Pleasure." Caroline said, with a tone that let me know it was not, in fact, a pleasure.

"What did you say your name was again?" I asked, turning back to the brunette, "Sorry I missed it earlier."

"I'm Elena, Elena Gilbert." She smiled.

I nodded, "Gilbert, huh. Any chance you're related to John Gilbert?"

Elena grimaced, "Unfortunately yes, he's my deadbeat Uncle. Why, do you know him?"

"Just a family friend." I shrugged.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" She said, "I didn't mean to be rude, he just skipped town a while ago and I haven't heard from him since."

"No worries," I forced a laugh, "He's my parents friend, not mine. I've never met the guy."

"Well consider yourself lucky." Elena said, "Oh my gosh, Matt! Come say hi!"

Elena waved to someone, and I turned around to see the bartender from the Mystic Grill. I felt my face break out into a huge grin at the sight of someone I recognized.

"Who's this, your cousin?" Matt asked Elena.

"Hey! No, we've met actually." I said, "At the grill, remember? I'm Lucy, not sure I ever gave you my name."

"What? Oh . . . oh yeah I remember. I'm Matt." He said, shifting his eyes around.

"Matt, is everything okay?" Elena asked.

Matt sighed, "Yeah it's just my mom. She's back."

"_What?_" Elena exclaimed and looked back and forth between Matt and Caroline, who nodded.

"She said she hasn't heard from Vicki either, so who knows where she is." Matt said.

"Matt I'm so sorry." Elena said.

Caroline reached out to put a hand on Matt's shoulder, "You know my mom is doing everything she can to find her."

"It's whatever. I'll talk to you guys later. Nice to meet you." Matt nudged my shoulder before walking away, putting a smile on my face. I watched him as he walked down the hallway, wondering what the deal was with his family.

"Don't. Even. Think. About it." Caroline's voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked at her to find her eyes narrowed at me, "Huh?"

"Matt. Don't even think about it." Caroline said, and I realized that she must have a crush on Matt, or maybe they were even dating.

"Caroline be nice." Elena sighed, and Stefan grimaced.

"Oh no I wasn't thinking about . . . I was just wondering . . ." I stammered.

"I know what you were thinking about." Caroline crossed her arms, "It's okay, you can make it up to me by having a killer back handspring."

I laughed, "A what?"

"Back handspring." Caroline said, "I'm head of the cheerleading squad, and we're down a member because our friend Bonnie's grams died, so she decided to skip town."

"_Caroline._" Elena warned, "A little sensitivity."

"No it's like, totally sad." Caroline said, "But that doesn't change the fact that we need another member. What do you say?"

"I'm not sure I'd really be the best person for the squad." I said, "I'm not exactly graceful and I've definitely never cheered before."

Caroline sighed, "Fine, we can put you in the back. At least you'll look cute in the uniform. Practice starts at 4 p.m. sharp on the fields. _Don't_ be late."

Caroline walked off without giving me any chance to protest. I looked at Stefan and Elena, who both looked like they were trying not to laugh.

"Well she sure seems . . ." I tried to find the words to describe the blonde tornado I had just interacted with.

Stefan chuckled, "Yeah."

"No comment." Elena said, "Listen, don't feel pressured to join the squad. But it might be fun for you to get to hang out with some of the girls, since you are new here."

"You're right it can't hurt." I said, "I'll try it out, she'll probably end up kicking me off anyways once she sees how much I really suck."

Elena laughed, "See you after school?"

"Yeah, see you then." I said.

* * *

_When I make it, I'll be on time yeah  
Well you might say I'm crazy, but oh I'm out of my mind  
Well excuse me black hearts, will you tell me who is up and who is down?  
Are you waiting for me to fall down?_

_Your hearts on fire, so come on, burn brighter  
Your hearts on fire, so come on, burn brighter_

_Your hearts on fire, but your cold to the touch  
I know you want it but you love yourself too much  
Your hearts on fire but your head is a rut  
You best believe it, I ain't ever giving up  
So come on, come on, come on, hey yeah!_

_Your hearts on fire, but your cold to the touch  
I know you want it but you love yourself too much  
Your hearts on fire but your head is a rut  
You best believe it, I ain't ever give'n' up  
Hey hey hey_

I wiped the sweat from my forehead as I guzzled at least half of the contents of my water bottle. It was no surprise to me the Caroline's cheer practice was intense. My short interaction with her in the hallway was enough to solidify that she would _not_ be going easy on me. I forced a smile at Elena as she ran up to me, her hair in a perfectly straight ponytail.

"How you holding up?" She asked.

"Boot camp would be like going back to preschool after one of Caroline's practices." I forced out between breaths.

Elena laughed, "Yeah, she's a little intense. But I promise you she has a good heart, she's just intimidated by you."

"By me?" I asked.

"Yeah I mean she kind of secured the role of most popular girl in our class, and then all the sudden you roll up in your sports car and all the boys are drooling all over you." Elena said, "But don't worry, she'll get over it."

"Please, I'm just the shiny new toy." I said, "I take it not a lot happens in this town if everyone's _that_ amused by the new girl."

Elena sighed, "Honestly, a lot more happens here than you would think. But hopefully you won't ever have to deal with any of that. What do you think, are you gonna stick around on the squad?"

I nodded, "I think I can take it. Besides, my parents will be happy that I'm actually participating in extra curricular activities."

"Awesome." Elena smiled, "So there's a game on Friday and I doubt that your uniform will be in by then. Do you want to come over and borrow one of mine? We look about the same size."

"Yeah sure." I nodded.

Elena was surprisingly right. We stood about the same height, which was a pleasant change from me being one of the tallest girls in my class at my old school. She put her address in my phone, and I sent my parents a text to let them know where I'd be.

Elena's house was on a quiet suburban street. It was a nice sized house with a gorgeous wrap around porch. I was surprised to see a relatively young woman with strawberry blonde hair in the kitchen when we arrived.

"Hey Elena, new friend?" The woman asked.

"Yeah, this is Lucy, she and her parents just moved here." Elena said.

"Nice to meet you." The woman smiled, "I'm Elena's Aunt Jenna."

"Is Jeremy home?" Elena asked.

Jenna frowned, "No, he texted and told me not to wait up for him for dinner."

Elena sighed, "Well we'll be upstairs, lemme know if you need help with anything, okay?"

Jenna nodded, "Let me know when you two are done, I did some more research today."

"On . . . Isobel?" Elena asked. Jenna nodded again, "Got it. We can talk later."

Elena led me upstairs to her room. It was so beautiful and cozy. I smiled when I saw that she had a window seat, I had always wanted one of those.

"Who's Isobel?" I asked.

"Oh it's nothing, just someone I'm researching for a school project." Elena said. I could tell she didn't want to talk about it.

"Got it." I said, "So, you're close with your Aunt, I take it?"

"She's actually me and Jeremy's legal guardian." Elena said, "My parents died last spring."

"Oh my god I'm so sorry." I kicked myself for prying such personal information out of her.

Elena shifted, clearly wanting to talk about anything else, "Let's just get you a uniform, okay?"

Elena dug through her dresser and tossed me a somewhat wrinkled maroon cheer uniform. I tried not to cringe at how short the skirt was. The thought of wearing that in front of so many people made my stomach do backflips.

"Here, try it on, make sure it fits." Elena said.

I nodded, and turned around to change into the uniform. I checked myself out in the mirror. It was a little tight on me, but the top hugged my chest in a way that I knew would ultimately get me attention from boys.

"Ta-da." I said, turning back around, "What do you think?"

"Woah, your necklace." Elena said, noting the piece of silver that I normally kept tucked under my shirt, "I have one really similar to it."

I sat down next to Elena as she pulled her necklace out from under her shirt. The necklaces did have a similar round shape, and appeared to be the same antique silver. Elena's necklace had an unfamiliar etching on it, with either a ruby or a garnet at the top. Mine was etched with flowers, with an emerald in the center of the main flower. I instinctively closed my hand around mine.

"Weird." I said, "My grandma gave this to me in May. She raised my mom here, so I guess she got it somewhere in town."

Elena nodded, "Stefan actually gave this to me, so I have no clue where he got it. I always assumed it was a family heirloom. It's beautiful though."

"You guys must be pretty serious then, how long have you been together?" I asked.

"Actually not that long," Elena said, "We only met this school year. But what I have with him it's so . . . so real."

I smiled, "That's so incredible, you two make a beautiful couple.

"Thank you." Elena said, "What about you, any boys back home?"

I shook my head, "Nah. I dated here and there but it was never anything serious."

Elena nodded, "Well you're going to attract a lot of attention once the boys see you in the cheerleading uniform Friday night. You look _hot_. Here try the scrunchie with it too."

Elena handed me a hair tie that matched the outfit, and I turned to the mirror and attempted to mimic her ponytail. I sighed as I looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was like a prettier version of me. Our hair and eyes were the same color, but everything about her just seemed more perfect.

"I wish I had your hair." I said, "Yours is just perfectly straight it must be so easy to get ready in the mornings."

"Are you kidding me? I can't ever get my hair to hold a curl. You're so lucky to have this perfect wave at all times." Elena said, running her hand over my ponytail.

I shrugged, "Grass is always greener I guess."

Elena shoved me with her pillow, "I'll trade you."

"Yeah, let me just shave my head and make my hair into a wig real quick." I laughed.

We turned our heads after hearing a cough to see Aunt Jenna standing in the doorway.

"Dinner's almost ready Elena," Jenna said, "Will you be joining us Lucy?"

"Oh I should really be getting back home, I didn't realize it was getting so late." I stood up, "But thank you for the offer."

"Anytime." Jenna smiled.

"And thank you so much for the uniform Elena," I said, "You're a lifesaver."

Elena smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"See you tomorrow." I said.

I bounded down the stairs and sent my parents a message to let them know I would be home shortly. My heart felt an excitement that it hadn't in a while. My first day at Mystic Falls High and I had already been welcomed with open arms by the generous and beautiful Elena Gilbert. I was thrilled to have made a friend, and could only hope that this was just the beginning of a great last two years of high school.


	3. Chapter 3 - Portrait of a Summer Thief

**A/N: For those of you asking if I have an actress in mind for Lucy, I sort of picture her looking like Maia Mitchell.**

**Here's a gif set of her: post/185196058116/jcmieschung-why-are-you-letting-me-go-on-about-my**

**& a photo of her: post/185196096486/maiaholic-she-is-always-on-point**

**Thanks so much for the reviews you've left so far. I really appreciate it, and would love to hear your thoughts on the story if you haven't given any so far. I'm considering leaving links to visuals (outfits, scenery, etc.) at the end of each Chapter. If that's something you'd be interested in let me know! They'd need to be at the end because I wouldn't want to spoil the content of the Chapter, but I'm not sure if anyone would click them once it's over. **

* * *

_Song: Portrait of a Summer Thief_

_Artist: Sounds Under Radio_

_You open up to say you're feeling all right  
With pictures on the wall  
You'll figure out that feeling here is all right  
With still frames in the hall  
But it's not that hard_

_Could you save me from,  
Could you be there for me?  
Could you wake me from,  
Could you be my thief?_

I jumped as I shut my locker to see a pair of brown doe eyes staring at me. Elena quickly crushed me with a hug, one that I let myself melt into.

"You were awesome!" Elena said. "So now that you've got your first game under your belt, how does it feel to be the hot new cheerleader?"

I smiled. "I was really nervous before the game, but now that it's over I feel pretty great."

"I knew it!" Elena jumped up and down. "Some of us are going to the grill to celebrate the win, do you want to come?"

"Yeah sure, let me just get changed." I said.

Elena put her hand out to stop me as I turned back to my locker. "Don't change, trust me. It's a good night to have our school colors on. Come on, I'll drive."

The difference between the Mystic Grill tonight and the week prior when I had first been here was night and day. Most of the tables packed full of Mystic Falls High students, sporting maroon and black and grinning from ear to ear due to our win. I gathered that wins didn't come often for the Timberwolves. There were pitchers of beer all over the place, and I chuckled at the leniency as I would have assumed the sheriff's department had nothing better to do than to bust kids for underage drinking.

I sat in a booth at the Grill with Caroline, Mike, Elena, and of course, Stefan. Wherever Elena went, Stefan followed. Something about him was strange, but I couldn't quite place my finger on it. He didn't say much, though that could just mean he didn't like me. His eyes were always scanning the room, and his mind always seemed to be elsewhere. Elena clearly saw something good in him, however, and she had been a great friend to me this week, so I trusted her judgment.

"Tonight was awesome!" Caroline said. "You did great new girl, I'm glad I asked you to join the squad."

Elena nodded. "We told you that you could do it!"

"Yeah well, it's easy to keep spirits up when our team is winning." I shrugged.

"And that," Caroline said. "Is all thanks to my super hot boyfriend, the quarterback."

Caroline kissed Matt on the cheek. Elena rolled her eyes, but I couldn't help but smile. Despite her horrible first impression, Caroline really was as nice as Elena said. She was neurotic, and a complete control freak, but she was nice. I chalked her attitude towards me on my first day here as her reaction to me being a disruption in her perfect routine. She and Matt made a picture perfect couple; beautiful blonde head cheerleader, and charmingly handsome quarterback.

I found myself tuning out of the conversation and scanning around the room. My eyes wandered across the bar, and my heart dropped a bit when I didn't see the raven haired stranger I had met a week ago. I told myself I just wanted to give him his jacket back, but I knew that was a lie.

My thoughts were interrupted by a body sliding into the seat next to me. I recognized the dark haired boy as one of the players on the football team. He put his arm around me, and I was overpowered by the scent of beer coming off of him.

"Just thought I would come over and introduce myself to the new girl," He slurred his words. "I'm Tyler Lockwood. But you can call me tonight."

I rolled my eyes and looked at Elena for rescue, who was stifling a laugh with her hand. Caroline was less than amused.

"Tyler, how many times do I have to tell you to stop hitting on my cheerleaders?" Caroline crossed her arms.

"If you don't want to me to hit on your cheerleaders then stop asking the hottest girls in school to be on the squad, huh Caroline?" Tyler said, and tightened his grip around my shoulder.

"Tyler buddy, I think you should lay off the beer." Matt said. "You're drunk."

"Matt buddy, ease up. We're just having fun here." Tyler said. "I'm getting to know the new girl. What was your name again?"

"It's Lucy." I said, wriggling to lean away from his beer scent.

"Lucy huh," Tyler repeated. "Pretty name for a pretty girl. What's that old necklace you've got on, is that a locket?"

"Tyler please don't!" I tried to pull my necklace away from Tyler, but he had his hand around it before I could.

Tyler opened the necklace, and I felt like the world was moving in slow motion. I hadn't opened it since I put the contents inside, and now they were on display for all of my friends. On one side were dried purple flowers, pressed underneath a piece of glass, and on the other side was a picture of a blonde boy. Elena and Stefan exchanged glances with each other, clearly having seen what was inside.

"Who's that, your boyfriend?" Tyler asked. "Don't worry, I can take him."

"That's none of your damn business." I mumbled, snatching the locket out of his hands and closing it again.

I tried not to let it get to me, but I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I fixated my gaze on a spoon on the table, willing the tears not to fall.

"Aw, Lucy misses her boyfriend." Tyler teased.

"Tyler," Matt warned. "I think it's time for you to go."

"Come on Matt," Tyler said. "Don't you want to have some good old team bonding time?"

Matt stood up and grabbed Tyler by the neck of his jersey. A wave of silence washed over the tables around us as everyone stopped to watch the commotion. Matt pulled Tyler into a standing position, and pressed his forehead against his.

"I said," Matt practically growled. "I think it's time for you to go."

Tyler put his hands up. "Alright, alright. No need to cause a scene."

Matt stared Tyler down as he retreated to a corner of the grill where more of the football team was sitting. I took the distraction as a moment to slide out of the booth and run out of the restaurant. I ran to the corner and leaned against the wall and started sobbing. I couldn't process what had just happened.

I heard frantic footsteps, and I lifted my head to see Elena and Stefan approaching me. Elena breathed a sigh of relief when we made eye contact.

"Lucy, there you are." She said. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head, and Elena pulled me in for a hug, "Stupid question, come here."

Elena stroked my hair and held my head close as I sobbed. She whispered to me gently until my sobs slowed down to more shallow breaths. Her presence was so calming to me. Even though I had only known her a week, I could already tell that she was an amazing friend.

Stefan stood beside us, silent as per usual. He looked distressed, scratching his chin and exhaling every few seconds. His gaze kept shifting out into the night, as if he was scanning for something. He looked back to Elena, and nodded at her.

"Lucy . . ." Elena broke the silence. "Who's photo was in your locket?"

I shook my head, "I can't talk about it Elena. I'm so sorry. You've been such a good friend to me but I just can't . . . I can't."

"It's okay," Elena whispered. "You don't have to talk about anything you don't want to. Just know I'm here if you decide you want to talk about it."

I nodded. "I just want to go home. I think I'm going to walk back to school, I could use the fresh air."

Stefan and Elena exchanged glances again, and I was surprised to hear Stefan interject. "Why don't you let us take you back? It's not safe for you to be walking by yourself."

"Let me guess," I said, wiping away a stray tear. "Animal attacks?"

Stefan stiffened, and Elena turned to me. "You've heard about the animal attacks?"

I shrugged. "Overheard some guy talking about them. I thought he was making it up, I've never heard of animals just attacking people in the streets of a town before."

"Yeah well," Stefan sighed. "The animals here are a . . . special kind."

"Fine." I said. "You guys can take me back. Just no Matt and Caroline level PDA. Or I will run straight into the forest."

Elena laughed. "Come on, lets go."

We got into Elena's car, and the drive was filled with mostly Elena talking. I sat in the back and stared out the window at the forest, wondering about the animals that hid behind the tree line. The school parking lot was mostly empty, save for my car and a few others of kids who had carpooled to the grill.

Elena turned around after pulling into the spot next to my car. "So listen, there's this thing tomorrow, the Founder's Day Fundraiser, and I'd really love it if you could come."

"Who all is going to be there?" I asked.

"Caroline, Matt, Stefan, Me, and hopefully you." Elena smiled, then saw my expression. "Don't worry, the only Lockwood that's going to be there is Carol. She might get drunk, but she won't hit on you like an aggressive douche bag."

I forced a laugh. "We'll see, I'm not sure what I've got going on tomorrow."

Elena nodded. "I'll text you tomorrow then?"

"Sure." I said. "Bye Stefan, bye Elena. Thanks for the ride."

* * *

_These summer stars are fading out  
Your silhouette reminds me now  
Of all the things I wish I could have said  
So picturesque and black print dress your darkened hair a perfect mess  
I touch you with my hands, could only try,  
But it's not that hard..._

_Could you save me from,  
Could you be there for me?  
Could you wake me from,  
Could you be my thief?_

I woke up to my phone beeping, and saw that it was already past noon. I was surprised my mom let me sleep this late, but thankful for the extra rest after my late night last night. I opened my phone to a text from Elena.

_Hope ur feeling better. Up for the fundraiser tonight? –E. _

I smiled and typed a quick reply to her. _Sure, where is it? Should I meet u there?_

_Stefan was going to drive me. I can pick u up and we can all meet at his house?_

_If ur sure I won't be intruding on u two then sure!_ I replied.

_Don't be ridiculous. Pick u up in two hours?_ Elena said.

_Sounds good. _

I pulled on a sweatshirt and went downstairs to see my parents sitting in the living room watching some television program.

"By god! She wakes!" Dad teased.

I laughed. "I was tired! When did the new sofa come in?"

"This morning while you were hibernating." Mom smiled.

"It looks awesome." I said. "I'm glad we went with the darker grey."

"Me too." Mom said. "Your father and I were going to go for a walk in town, would you care to join us."

"Actually, Elena asked if I could come to this fundraiser thingy with her, if that's okay with you?" I asked.

Mom nodded. "You've sure been spending a lot of time with Elena. We're so happy you've made friends here."

"She's really great. The rest of the girls on the squad are too." I smiled.

"What's the fundraiser for?" Mom asked.

"For the Founder's Day Ball." I said. "Apparently it's a big deal here. I don't think I'll be out too late though, maybe we can watch a movie or something when I get home?"

"Sounds great." Dad said. "There's still some coffee in the kitchen left from this morning. If you'd like some help yourself."

"My wallet's on the counter," Mom said. "If you want you can take some cash to donate to the fundraiser."

I smiled and waltzed into the kitchen to get some coffee. I poured it over ice, since it was already room temperature. Mom's wallet was right next to the coffee pot, so I grabbed a twenty to donate. I downed my coffee before heading upstairs to get dressed for the fundraiser.

Elena hadn't mentioned any specific dress code for the event, so I assumed that it wasn't crazy fancy. I still didn't want to look underdressed though, so I paired a chunky grey turtleneck sweater with black jeans and ankle boots. My phone chimed letting me know that Elena had arrived just as I finished putting on mascara and a touch of lip gloss. I went downstairs and out to Elena's black SUV.

"You look cute!" Elena said. "How are you feeling today?"

I smiled. "A lot better."

"Good." Elena said. "We're going to have fun today."

"So what exactly is Founders Day?" I asked, as Elena drove off.

"It's the annual celebration of the Founding of Mystic falls. It's always a huge event, with a parade and fireworks and things, so there's a lot of fundraising for it." Elena explained. "This town _loves_ it's history."

I nodded. "That sounds really fun. I can't wait to go to it, we didn't really have anything like that in Lynchburg."

"Just don't tell Caroline you're excited about it." Elena laughed. "She'll drag you into helping her decorate floats before you can come up with an excuse not to."

"Caroline Forbes? That sounds _so_ unlike her." I teased.

Elena pulled her car into a long driveway. "Alright we're here, do you want to come inside with me or wait in the car?"

My jaw fell open, "_This_ is Stefan's house?"

House wasn't even the correct word to describe it. This was an estate that made my house look like a modest abode. It was a sprawling Tudor manor, with more windows than I could count, and a daunting wooden awning over the entrance. I had never seen anything like it, with this much charm and character.

Elena nodded. "Yep it's the original Salvatore boarding house from when Stefan's ancestors settled here. I guess they kept it in the family. Why don't you come inside, it's pretty cool."

I agreed, and followed Elena into the house. The interior was just as breathtaking as the exterior. The floor and walls appeared to have the original wood, and the furniture seemed like it was straight out of the 19th century. The diamond paneled windows let in light that danced around the room, making it look like something out of a movie.

"Stefan?" Elena called out, walking up the stairs. "Stefan we're here."

"So it's just Stefan and his parents here?" I asked, following Elena through the house.

Elena shook her head. "His parents aren't around. He lives with his older brother."

"Oh I didn't know Stefan had a brother." I said. We reached the top of the stairs and entered a bedroom that I assumed to be Stefan's.

"Stefan's not one to brag." A voice cut in from the corner of the room.

Elena rolled her eyes and I looked over to follow the voice and had to stifle a gasp. It was Damon, the man from the bar, stumbling into the room. He looked completely disheveled, yet at the same time as unnervingly perfect as the night I had met him. All he had on was a pair of jeans, and I let my eyes wander over his torso, I had never seen a man so perfectly sculpted in my life. My eyes met his, and he smirked.

"I'm Damon." He said, and raised his eyebrows.

"Lucy." I replied. For whatever reason, he didn't want Elena to know we had met, and I decided to go along with it.

"Damon." Elena sighed. "You look . . ."

"Dashing? Gorgeous?" Damon suggested, walking towards her. "Irresistible?"

"Wrecked." Elena said, leaning away from Damon with a look of disgust on her face. "You look wrecked."

Damon shrugged. "No reason why. Do you know that _I_ am one of Mystic Falls most eligible bachelors?"

"Huh." Elena said.

"Yep." Damon replied, and winked. It wasn't even at me, yet it made my stomach fill with butterflies.

Elena looked at Damon with concern as he struggled to pull on a shirt, "How are you doing?"

"Never better." Damon said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What can I do for you? I'm a barrel of favors today. It's my newfound purpose . . . how can I help people?"

"I'm just meeting Stefan, we're going to the fundraiser." Elena said. "Stefan. There you are."

I turned and jumped as I saw Stefan just standing in the doorway that Elena and I had come through. He hadn't made a noise coming in. He shared the same look of disgust that Elena had on her face while looking at Damon.

"Stefan can I talk to you for a moment?" Elena asked.

"Are you sure that's . . ." Stefan looked from me, to Damon, then back to Elena.

"He's fine." Elena said.

"He's Damon." Stefan replied.

Damon held his hands up. Elena rolled her eyes and led Stefan out to the hallway. I turned back to Damon, who was struggling with the buttons on his shirt.

"Help a guy out, will you?" He looked at me. "Can't get this."

I approached him, and starting buttoning his shirt, one by one. The smell of whiskey rippled off of him. I looked up at him, and was caught off guard by his eyes once again. They were dazed and unfocused, but still utterly piercing.

"So," I broke the silence. "Why pretend not to know me? Or were you just so drunk that you actually don't remember meeting me?"

Damon chucked. "Please. Who could forget a face like yours?"

"Still didn't answer my question." I rolled my eyes.

"Elena does this thing where she gets all judgey." Damon said. "I thought I'd spare the both of us. Trust me."

I finished button his shirt and straightened the collar. I rested my hands on his shoulder for a moment, and looked at him, trying to decide if any of my questions were worth asking. My thoughts were interrupted by Stefan clearing his throat from the corner of the room.

"Brother." Damon said. "Goody."

Stefan looked at Elena, who nodded. "We'll meet you in the car Stefan. Come on Lucy."

I followed Elena back to her car, and wondered how she even managed to find her way around Stefan's house without getting lost. Maybe he had drawn her a map or something.

"So what's the deal with his brother?" I asked, shutting the car door behind me. "I mean it's like, not even close to five o'clock, and he's wasted."

"That's Damon." Elena sighed. "He's not always like that. Well he is, but not really. He just had his heart broken."

"Oh?" I tried not to look too curious, but hoped that Elena would elaborate.

"Yeah it was actually really sad." Elena looked as if she was trying to find the right words. "They had to break up because of . . . other circumstances. But she made it seem like she would wait for him, and then he came back to find her, and she was just . . . gone."

"Wow." I exhaled. "And he has no clue where she could be?"

Elena shook her head. "None. Hasn't heard from her in years."

Elena looked over as Stefan opened the door and got into the car. I thought about Damon, and wondered what he was like before he had his heart broken. I pictured his face, and couldn't imagine what type of girl wouldn't want to be with him, let alone would want to break his heart.

"Are you talking about Katherine?" Stefan asked. I had no clue how he had heard us from outside of the car. Maybe he really did just know Elena that well to know that she'd be telling me about Damon's ex.

"Sort of, yeah." Elena nodded. "Maybe this heartache will be good for him. It'll remind him that he has one, even if it doesn't beat."

"Won't hold my breath." Stefan pressed his lips together in a firm line. "Let's just go."

Elena started the car, and we drove away, leaving the dark and mysterious man behind us, and leaving me with even more questions than I'd had before.

* * *

_Just open up, you said you'd open up  
I wish you'd open up, why can't you open up?_

_Could you save me from,  
Could you be there for me?  
Could you wake me from,  
Could you be my thief?_


	4. Chapter 4 - Time is a Runaway

**A/N: I decided to update before Tuesday as I've written up through Chapter 10, so I wanted to post another chapter. If I get five new reviews OR five new follows, I'll post the next chapter! (If I don't reach that by Tuesday, I'll still update then, don't worry!) Please feel free to be critical if you think my writing style or grammar could be improved, I've really enjoyed getting back into writing so far but definitely feel I'm a bit rusty. **

**To the guest reviewer who asked if I would consider Pretty Little Liars fanfiction with an OC, I potentially would in the future as that's the TV show I used to write fics for, but I want to stick with writing one fic at a time right now because that's how I got overwhelmed before. Happy reading!**

* * *

_Song: Time is a Runaway_

_Artist: The Alternative Quotes_

_Roll your windows down  
The summer's nearly gone  
And only hours stand between you  
And the cold that's coming on_

_And you count your questions  
In the sky lit blue  
And every color there is  
Telling you_

_Time is a runaway  
Coming for you  
Time is a runaway  
Coming for you_

We arrived to the fundraiser and I learned that it was a bachelor auction. Buy a ticket for a chance to win a night with one of the many handsome men of Mystic Falls. I had to laugh at the absurdity of it, but given all the attractive men I had met since moving here it _was_ a rather smart choice of fundraiser.

"Tickets for the raffle are now on sale. All proceeds benefit the annual Founders Day celebration." Mrs. Lockwood stood on stage speaking into a microphone, perfectly coiffed and clearly loving the attention she was getting.

Elena was right; the only danger I was in around Mrs. Lockwood was the danger of going blind if I stared at her bleached white teeth for too long. She was the stereotypical trophy wife, perfect body, perfect blow out, tied all together with a strand of pearls on top. People were just starting to file into the grill, and Elena and I were standing next to Caroline and Matt, who was on busboy duty for the event.

"He's already been hit on like thirty-five times. He's total cougar bait." Caroline was absolutely beaming with pride that her boyfriend was so desirable.

Elena looked at me and smirked. "Impressive."

"More like embarrassing." Matt rolled his eyes.

Caroline perked up at the sight of an older woman with deep auburn hair who was wearing big gold hoops and far too much eyeliner. "Hi Mrs. Donovan!"

"Elena, honey." The woman who I gathered to be Matt's mom completely ignored Caroline.

"Hi Kelly." Elena grimaced as Kelly Donovan pulled her into a painfully awkward hug.

"Long time no see." Kelly smiled.

"How are you doing?" Elena asked.

"Oh same old." Kelly said. "Oh, Matty tells me you broke his heart."

"Mom." Matt warned.

"Just kidding, calm down." Kelly motioned with her hand as if to brush off Matt's comment. "He found his rebound girl."

I followed Kelly's eyes over to Caroline, who was visibly down struck at her comment. I opened my mouth to say something, but Kelly cut me off.

"Oh, here you are sweetheart." She handed Caroline a bill, addressing her for the first time since she had approached us. "However many that'll buy. I just hope I don't get bachelor 3, I dated him in high school. _Not_ impressive. In any way."

Elena made a very obvious effort to avoid eye contact with Caroline, as Kelly Donovan walked away, leaving us all in a very awkward silence. Matt cleared his throat and made some excuse about seeing a table that needed clearing. Elena looked over at our teacher, Mr. Saltzman, who was one of the bachelors in the auction. Mr. Saltzman immediately walked off upon seeing Elena.

"Hey um, I'll be right back." Elena said. "I just realized I left something in my car."

"Do you want me to come with you?" I offered.

Elena shook her head. "No it's okay, you should stay here and hang out with Caroline."

I mustered my best sympathetic glance towards Caroline as Elena walked off, "Well that was . . ."

"Super fun." Caroline said. "I love being reminded that I'm always the second choice next to Elena. She doesn't even try."

The second Caroline uttered that sentence, I saw her in a completely different light. She acted the way she did to mask her insecurity. When I came to town, she was worried that she would now have to compete with me too, not just Elena.

"Caroline . . . listen." I said. "Elena is kind, and generous, and undeniably beautiful,"

Caroline scoffed. "Yeah, I don't need you to remind me."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "But so are you. Caroline, you're absolutely kick ass. You don't need to compare yourself to her, or see her as competition. I was absolutely terrified of you my first day at Mystic Falls."

Caroline smiled at the thought of being intimidating. "Really?"

"Really." I nodded. "And when Matt looks at you . . . it's like no one else is in the room. Not me, not Elena, no one. He only has eyes for you."

"Wow. Thank you. You know, you're not so bad, new girl." Caroline said, nudging my shoulder. "So, do you have eyes for any of the bachelors?"

"Oh yeah." I teased. "I've got my fingers crossed for Mr. Saltzman. I've always wanted to live out that teacher-student fantasy."

"Lucy!" Caroline shushed me while laughing. "Keep your voice down."

I reached into my pocket. "That reminds me, my mom gave me this to donate. Just keep it, I don't need to be entered in the raffle."

"Are you sure?" Caroline asked.

I nodded, and our bonding moment was interrupted as a couple of middle-aged women had approached Caroline to buy tickets for the raffle. I scanned the room, and my eyes fell upon a wall where Mrs. Lockwood was clearly having a steamy conversation with Damon. I had no clue how Damon had even made it here in his state, and I wasn't sure I wanted to.

"I've got the big date planned." Damon said, referencing the _Bachelor #5_ sticker on his chest. "It's a romantic dinner, secluded spot, somewhere woodsy." Wait a second. Was he _flirting_ with her? Does he just flirt with everyone and anyone?

"You're making me think I should buy a ticket." Mrs. Lockwood said, putting on a flirtatious smile. I did my best not to look revolted.

"Well you are in charge, you could always rig it. Pardon me." Damon put a hand on her arm and seductively rubbed it, before walking over to speak to the Sheriff, Caroline's mom.

He was out of earshot, but I still eyed him with a mixture of intrigue and disgust. I wondered if his aimless womanizing was a result of his heartbreak, or if Katherine had left him because he behaved like this. Damon and Sheriff Forbes retreated to a corner, where the Sheriff looked over her shoulder before showing Damon the contents of a file.

They exchanged a few words, and the color left Damon's face. He began to look around the room, and I quickly averted my eyes so that he wouldn't catch me staring at him. I glanced out of the corner of my eyes, and saw him looking at Mr. Saltzman, a smile crossing his face.

What was it with Mr. Saltzman? First he and Elena had some unspoken drama, and now Damon clearly had some interest in him. I kicked myself as soon as the thought crossed my mind. Elena said she left something in her car, so I believed her. Maybe Damon was just curious about how his little brother was doing in school. That had to be it, right?

As if she knew I was thinking about her, Elena came up behind me and looped her arm with mine.

"Hey," She said. "Sorry about that. I think they're getting started soon, we should get a seat close to the stage."

Elena and I grabbed a seat next to her Aunt Jenna, who clearly was hoping to win a date as she had on a lovely plum dress. Stefan was nowhere to be found, but Elena didn't seem concerned by it. I found my mind wandering back to the file Sheriff Forbes had shown Damon, and zoned out so much that I completely missed the introduction of the first two bachelors.

"So what do you do, bachelor number three?" Mrs. Lockwood's sickly sweet voice interrupted my thoughts. It blew my mind that the woman could so shamelessly flirt with multiple men in front of the whole town, as if everyone didn't know she was the Mayor's wife.

"I'm a plumber." Bachelor number three said, earning a chuckle from the audience.

"Well isn't that wonderful." Mrs. Lockwood said with a smile that let us know she did not find that wonderful. "We could all use more plumbers. Moving on. Number four, Alaric Saltzman. Wow that's quite a mouthful. What do you do Alaric?"

I nudged Elena, and nodded at Jenna, who was looking at Mr. Saltzman with goo-goo eyes. Elena shoved Jenna, who laughed. Her face turned pink, clearly a bit flustered that she was caught making eyes at Elena's teacher.

"I'm a teacher at Mystic Falls high." Alaric said.

"Oh beauty and brains, ladies. This one's a keeper." Mrs. Lockwood said. I pretended to gag, and Elena had to put her hand over her mouth to stop a laugh from escaping.

"What do you teach?" Mrs. Lockwood asked.

"History." Mr. Saltzman replied, a man of many words.

"History." Mrs. Lockwood repeated. "Well, give us a fun fact about Mystic Falls, something crazy."

Mr. Saltzman looked uncomfortable with the question. His eyes shifted from Mrs. Lockwood, to Damon, who was stood to the right of him. Elena drew in a sharp breath, and I found myself wondering for the second time that night what was going on between the three of them. Damon raised his eyebrows and mimed that he was listening intently for what Alaric had to say.

"Ah, well . . ." Mr. Saltzman trailed off.

"He's probably saving his best stories for his date." Mrs. Lockwood said, saving face. "And last, but not least, Damon Salvatore . . . we don't have much on you."

"Well, I'm tough to fit on a card." Damon said with a wink to the audience.

I could practically hear the heartbeats of every woman around me as they watched Damon on stage. Every man up there was attractive, but none of them could even hope to compare to Damon. Elena waved, and at first I thought it was to Damon, but then I saw that Stefan had appeared, out of nowhere again, and was making his way over to us.

"Do you have any hobbies? Like to travel?" Mrs. Lockwood asked.

Damon perked up. "Oh yeah, LA, New York, couple of years ago I was in North Carolina, near the Duke Campus actually. I think – I think Alaric went to school there. Didn't you Rick?"

Mr. Saltzman glared at Damon, and I felt Elena tense up next to me. I turned to ask her what was going on, but she just shook her head at me.

"Yeah, cause I know your wife did." Damon said. "I had a drink with her once. She was – she was a great girl. I ever tell you that? Cause she was, she . . . delicious."

Elena gasped. I had to share her disgust. Either Mr. Saltzman's wife was incredibly young, or Damon really did have a thing for older women. I wasn't sure which one was worse.

"Are you okay?" Jenna turned to Elena, whose eyes were watering.

"I just need some air." Elena stood up, and ran out of the grill.

I looked at Stefan, who immediately turned to follow Elena. I mumbled something to Jenna, and went to follow the two of them.

"Elena!" I called after her, finding her outside pacing the sidewalk.

"I . . . I . . ." Elena sputtered, struggling to hold back tears. Stefan put his arm around her. "I can't. Lucy you should go back inside."

"No I'm not leaving you, not like this." I protested. "You're there for me, I'm there for you."

Stefan let go of Elena, and put his hand on my shoulder, looking me in the eye, "Go back inside and forget about this. We will find you and take you home when we're done talking."

"I already tried that." A voice behind me said. "That's not going to work."

I turned around to see Damon emerging from the grill, a smirk on his face. Stefan glared at Damon, and I could have sworn I heard a growl emerge from his throat.

"Tried what?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Telling you what to do." Damon shrugged. "You'll find she's . . . _stubborn_, brother."

Stefan looked me up and down, and then nodded, as if something had clicked inside his mind.

"You _what?_" Elena yelled. "Damon stay away from her, she has nothing to do with this."

"Nothing to do with what?" I asked.

Elena brought her hands to her temples. "Lucy, I don't know how to say this. I lied to you earlier."

"Lied to me about what?" I searched Elena's face, wondering what lie she could have possible told me that was so horrible in the week I had known her.

"When I was talking to my Aunt Jenna about Isobel, and I told you it was just a school project. I lied." Elena choked out a sob. "I found out I was adopted about a month ago. Isobel was my birth mother. And Damon . . . Damon . . ."

"Knew her." Damon stepped in. "And so did Alaric. She was his wife."

"Was?" I asked, although from Elena's distress, I already knew the answer.

"They don't know what happened." Stefan answered. "Alaric said they never found the body. I'm sorry – I wanted to tell you but I just – I wanted to know more."

"I was feeling sorry for you." Elena shoved Damon. "Hoping that this Katherine thing would change you. I'm so stupid."

"Elena he didn't know about your connection to her. He thought she was just Alaric's wife." Stefan said.

"Why are you protecting him?" Elena looked at Stefan, it was the first time I had ever seen her look at him with anything but love for him.

"Yeah Stefan, why are you protecting me? I'm just the big bad brother who lies about women he's met in bars." Damon smirked. I wasn't sure if he was talking about me or Isobel. Or both.

"Because you're not the only one hoping he might actually change." Stefan said.

Elena fell silent. I looked between the three of them, Stefan looking pained, Elena looking heartbroken, and Damon looking as if a truck had just hit him. I struggled to grasp what was going on. Elena was adopted; her birth mother was named Isobel, and happened to be Mr. Saltzman's wife.

Did that mean Mr. Saltzman was Elena's birth father? And what did Damon have to do with this? Clearly he dated Isobel or something. Wait . . . did that mean . . . could Damon be Elena's dad? No, no that wasn't possible. There's no way Damon was old enough to be Elena's father. So why was she so upset that Damon knew Isobel?

"That man." Elena broke the silence. "I saw that man outside of Trudie's."

"Who's Tru-" I began to ask.

"Let's get back inside." Stefan cut me off. "_All_ of us."

I followed Elena inside, and Stefan stepped behind me, cutting Damon off. I looked over my shoulder to see an older man, clearly eyeing the four of us. I felt a chill run down my spine, but chalked it up to the chilly fall night.

"Sorry, all out of jackets to give you." Damon murmured in my ear.

I turned to face him, and he was already gone. Elena and Stefan broke away from me as well, leaving me alone to watch the end of the raffle. It suddenly seemed so uninteresting compared to the questions that were left spinning in my head.

"And bachelor three goes to number 37458." Mrs. Lockwood said up on stage.

"That's me." Kelly Donovan stood up and stumbled towards the stage.

"Ah, Kelly Donovan. Lovely." Mrs. Lockwood forced a smile as Kelly plucked the ticket out of her hand. "You and the plumber should have so much fun."

I watched as Kelly walked over to Caroline. I had no clue what she was saying, but I could tell from Caroline's face that it wasn't anything nice. I mentally prepared myself to give Caroline another pep talk. I shot her another sympathetic smile, and returned my attention to the stage for the announcement of the last two winners.

"37649." Mrs. Lockwood read out loud.

"That's me!" Jenna called from her now almost empty table, a smile spreading across her face.

Mrs. Lockwood smiled and looked between Jenna and Mr. Saltzman, "Congratulations. And bachelor number five, Damon Salvatore. 37552, would you look at that? 37552, what are the chances? Me. Where'd he go?"

The audience groaned in protest, and I couldn't say I blamed them. It was clear that Mrs. Lockwood had taken Damon's advice to rig the raffle. What was unclear was exactly why he suggested that she do so. A loud crash outside interrupted my thoughts.

I ran outside to follow the commotion. A truck had hit a man, right in the middle of the square. Elena was clinging to Stefan, holding onto something.

"Elena is that . . ." I couldn't tear my eyes from what was left of the man.

Elena nodded. "The man."

Stefan ushered us back towards Elena's car. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Stefan got behind the wheel, as Elena was understandably to shaken to drive. I wondered how Stefan was able to remain so stoic even after witnessing death so up close. I could barely steady my hands in the back seat. Not a single word was spoken as they drove me back to my house.

"Here we are." Elena said, as Stefan slowed to a stop in front of my house. "I'm so sorry about tonight. It was just supposed to be a fun night out . . . none of this . . . whatever this was."

"Elena you have nothing to be sorry for." I said.

Elena shook her head. "I'll make it up to you."

"Nothing to make up." I shrugged. "But I'll take any excuse for a girls night."

Elena forced a smile, and waved goodbye to me as I walked up my front porch. Stefan didn't even look at me, clenching the steering wheel and lost in thought as always. I took a deep breath in attempt to compose myself before facing my parents.

"Mom? Dad?" I called out. "I'm home!"

"We're in here honey." My mom's voice led me into the living room. "How was the fundraiser?"

"It was good." I lied.

They didn't need to know about the drama with Elena, and they especially didn't need to know about the man who was hit by a truck. That would only worry them. They'd just go on and on about how it would have been me, and I just couldn't take that right now.

"Are you sure?" Mom asked, as if she could read my mind. "You look a little pale."

"Yeah I'm fine," I said. "I think I just ate something a little funny, my stomach doesn't feel so good."

"Oh you poor thing," My mom gushed. "Why don't you go upstairs and lie down. I'll bring you some peppermint tea in a little bit."

"Are you sure?" I looked back and forth between my parents. "I know I promised you guys a movie night."

"Go cupcake," My dad waved. "We can watch a movie any time. We don't want you to get sick all over the new sofa anyways."

I chucked a bit at his teasing. I retreated up the stairs, and gladly changed into my favorite flannel pajama pants and a sweatshirt. I turned off the lights and stared out my window at the quiet town below me, wondering how such a simple place could carry so many dark secrets.

I sat up in bed, and opened my phone. I typed in a number, and waited as the phone rang. When no one answered, I jumped up and slipped a pair of shoes on, and ran back downstairs.

"Lucy?" My mom called out.

"Mom, dad," I said. "I just realized I left something in Elena's car. I need to go get it, I'll be back in a bit."

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Mom asked. "I can drive you if you want. Or you can just go tomorrow?"

"No that's okay," I said. "I think Elena's busy tomorrow. I'll be back in an hour, I'll be fine."

I dashed out the door before they could protest, and sent Elena a quick text. I needed to talk to her.

* * *

_In my dreams I see in red  
She cannot stay  
And the summer leaves you  
Like the girl who gets away_

_We sit here stranded  
In a careless hue  
And every color that is  
Telling you_

_Time is a runaway  
It's coming for you  
Time is a runaway  
Coming for you_

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? Why do you think Lucy needs to talk to Elena? Do you think she knows? Find out in the next chapter. -XO, Eden.**


	5. Chapter 5 - The Mess I Made

**A/N: I got five new follows on this story today, so as promise here is the next chapter. Chapter 6 will be up Tuesday. Thanks for the support and love on this story so far!**

* * *

_Song: The Mess I Made_

_Artist: Parachute_

_Should've kissed you there  
I should've held your face  
I should've watched those eyes  
Instead of run in place  
I should've called you out  
I should've said your name  
I should've turned around  
I should've looked again_

_But ohh, I'm staring at the mess I made  
I'm staring at the mess I made  
I'm staring at the mess I made  
As you turn, you take your heart and walk away_

I knocked on Elena's front door and prayed for an answer. She hadn't responded to my text, but I knew she had to be home by now, unless was staying over at Stefan's. Which wouldn't make any sense, since she clearly didn't want to be around Damon.

Jenna opened the front door and looked confused to see me standing there. "Hi Lucy, is everything okay?"

"I need to talk to Elena," I said. "Is she here?"

"Yeah she's right upstairs," Jenna eyed me. "Are you sure everything's okay? Is this because of the car accident outside the grill tonight? That was pretty crazy."

I shook my head. "No it's not about that. I just remembered something about a school project we need to do."

"Okay, I'll be downstairs if you two need help with anything." Jenna said, still looking unconvinced.

I nodded and ran upstairs to Elena's room. She was just hanging up the phone as I entered the door. She jumped when she saw me enter the room.

"Lucy, what are you doing here?" Elena asked, her voice raspier then normal. "Did something happen?"

"No nothing happened." I said. "I just needed to talk to you and you didn't pick up the phone. Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine. I mean, no, I'm not _fine_ obviously. Tonight was horrible. But I'm better. Isobel's not dead." Elena said.

"What? That's great news." I looked at her face, which didn't match my excitement. "That _is _great news, isn't it?"

Elena shrugged. "She didn't want to talk to me. So I'm not exactly up a parent over here."

I sighed, and sat down on her bed. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. I was adopted to."

"What?" Elena looked up.

"Yeah." I nodded. "I don't really talk about it. But you told me, and you're clearly struggling with it, and I just wanted you to know that I know how it feels to find out."

"How _did_ you find out?" Elena asked.

"My parents told me when I turned sixteen." I explained. "Happy birthday. Here's a car, and oh yeah you were adopted."

"Wow." Elena replied. "How'd you take it?"

"I was mad. And then confused. And then upset that my birth parents didn't want me. And then happy that my parents did want me. And now . . . I don't know . . ." I trailed off.

"I wonder if my parents were ever planning on telling me." Elena thought out loud.

I reached out to put a hand on her arm. "I'm sure they were going to they just . . ."

"Died instead." Elena interjected.

I sighed. "That's not what I meant."

"No I know, I'm sorry." Elena exhaled. "Did you ever try to find out who your birth parents were?"

I nodded. "The father organized the adoption, so we don't have any record of who my birth mother is. But I tried to find him, and turns out no one's really heard from him in a while."

"That sucks. Have you kept looking?" Elena asked.

"Sort of," I admitted. "Sort of not. Sometimes I think I'm better off not knowing."

"Yeah," Elena exhaled. "Right now, I wish I didn't know."

I pulled Elena into a hug. "Elena I'm so sorry that you're going through this. I mean, you just lost your parents, and then you found out that you were adopted, and now you can't get in touch with your birth mother, and it must just feel like a big loss all over again."

Elena wiped a tear away. "That's exactly how it feels. She was only fifteen when she had me, so I can't exactly blame her for not being mother of the year then. But now . . ."

We sat in silence for a while. There was now a mutual understanding between us. We both knew the feeling of being abandoned. Sure, we both knew what it was like to grow up with parents that wanted us, but there was nothing like the blow of finding out the people that brought you into this world didn't want you, didn't love you.

"Lucy?" Elena broke the silence. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." I agreed.

"Why do you keep those purple flowers inside your necklace?" Elena asked.

I sighed, and pulled away. My hand instinctively closed around my silver locket, and I did my best to avoid eye contact with her.

"I'm sorry," Elena said. "You don't have to answer."

"No it's okay. I just don't know how to . . ." I took a deep breath. "They're from my brother's funeral. I wanted to take something from the bouquet they put on his casket, and they were the smallest ones. So I took them."

"Oh my god." Elena whispered. "You have a brother?"

"Had." I corrected. "Yeah."

"Oh. He's the picture in your locket. Oh my god." Elena stared at me with the same dumbfounded look everyone at my old school gave me before I left. "What happened?"

I shook my head, tears forming in my eyes. "I really can't talk about that. I'm so sorry."

Elena put her hand over mine. "No, you don't have to talk about it. Of course not. Oh my god, I'm so sorry Lucy I had no idea- I. . ."

"It's been almost six months. And I feel like I should be figuring out how to move on with my life. Especially now that we're here. But I just . . . can't." I pressed my hands into my temples.

"Of course you can't." Elena wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "I can't imagine anything ever happening to Jeremy. He's my baby brother."

"And Brandon was mine." I sobbed.

"I know for the longest time, after my parents died, I felt like the whole world had gone dark." Elena said. "And then one day, I realized things didn't feel quite so horrible anymore."

"What happened?" I asked. "I mean, you lost them around the same time. But you seem so well adjusted."

"So do you." Elena shrugged. "But I don't know. A bunch of things. Meeting Stefan was the biggest one. Jeremy started drawing again. I started talking to my friends again. I think I just realized that the last thing they'd want is for me to just sit around being that sad girl all the time. So I found ways to be happy."

"Maybe I'll find ways too." I hoped.

"You will," Elena squeezed my shoulder. "I promise. Just don't run from happinesss."

I wiped another tear away and forced a smile. "Anyways, why'd you ask?"

"Ask what?" Elena replied.

"About the flowers." I said. "In my locket."

"Oh . . . that." Elena looked to the side, clearly caught off guard by my question. "Do you know why your family put them in the bouquet?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. Some family tradition. My grandma explained everything to me, but I was kind of in a daze. There's some family significance behind everything though. Why does it matter?"

"Well, it's not really a flower." Elena explained. "It's an herb. Called vervain. It just looks like little flowers. But that doesn't matter. Just promise me . . . promise me you'll keep that necklace on at all times."

"I always do." I said. "It means the world to me. But . . . why? What aren't you telling me."

"It's stupid." Elena shook her head and let out a laugh. "But there's all this mythological stuff surrounding vervain. It's supposed to protect you from . . . all sorts of things that go bump in the night."

I laughed. "What are you talking about?"

"See, it sounds stupid." Elena forced a smile, and opened her locket. "But Stefan has me wear it too. When he gave me this necklace, he told me the stories behind it. I thought it was sweet, and I don't know . . . I just like the idea of you wearing it too."

I nodded. "Like a friendship necklace."

"Yeah, sort of." Elena agreed.

"Well in that case," I held out my pinky. "Elena Gilbert, I hereby swear to never, ever, take off my necklace."

Elena latched pinkies with mine. "Lucy Adams, I swear to never, ever take off my necklace either."

I crinkled my nose, and we both burst into a fit of laughter. It was silly, wearing some flower to protect myself from things that didn't exist. But it wasn't like I was going to take off my locket anyways; it was a way of keeping my brother with me at all times. So if it meant a stronger bond with Elena, I'd make some stupid pinky promise with her.

Jenna knocked on the doorframe. "Did you girls get your school project sorted out?"

"What?" Elena asked, and caught my eye. "Oh – oh yeah we're all good."

Jenna smirked. "Mhmm. Well it's getting late, you should probably get home Lucy."

"Yeah you're right," I got up. "Thanks for the talk, Elena."

Elena nodded. "I'll text you later."

"Sounds good." I waved as I walked out of the room. "Bye Elena, bye Jenna."

* * *

_Should've held my ground  
I could've been redeemed  
For every second chance  
That changed its mind on me,  
I should've spoken up  
I should've proudly claimed  
That oh my head's to blame  
For all my hearts mistakes_

_But oh, I'm staring at the mess I made  
I'm staring at the mess I made  
I'm staring at the mess I made  
As you turn, you take your heart and walk away_

It felt as if a weight had been lifted from my heart. I knew I had someone here I could confide in; someone who knew what it was like. That night, I drifted into sleep truly feeling at peace. Despite this, my dreams still brought me back to the worst day of my life.

_I came home from school and threw my backpack onto the couch. I found my mom in the kitchen, mixing a batch of cookies. She only bakes when she's stressed. As if that wasn't enough of a cue, her brow was furrowed, accentuating every line on your forehead. _

_"Mom? What is it?" I asked. _

_"We heard back from the Private Investigator." Mom admitted. "We have an address for him."_

_"For . . . for my birth father?" I was stunned. "Can I have it?" _

_Mom nodded, and reached into her pocket to hand me a scrap piece of paper, my fathers chicken scratch sprawled across it in blue ink. I made out the address, and my heart jolted. _

_"He still lives in Mystic Falls!" I exclaimed. "That's not too far from here. I can meet him. I can meet him, right?" _

_"Are you sure you want to?" Mom sighed. "I mean what if it doesn't go the way you hoped?" _

_I shrugged. "At least then I'll know. Please mom? It's something I need to do." _

_"Would you let us take you, at least?" Mom asked. "You don't know what's going to happen." _

_"I don't know if that's a good idea." I said. "He might be intimidated if we all just show up at his doorstep."_

_Mom nodded. "At least take your brother with you. He can wait in the car. Please? It will make me feel a lot better knowing he's with you." _

_"Okay, mom."_

* * *

_And it's, you  
And it's falling down  
As you walk away  
And it's on me now  
As you go_

_But oh, I'm staring at the mess I made  
I'm staring at the mess I made  
I'm staring at the mess I made  
As you turn, you take your heart and walk away_

I shut my locker and walked over to Elena's. We hadn't really talked since we had our heart to heart on Saturday, and I kind of just wanted things to be normal between us.

"Hey," I greeted her. "Since we don't have practice, do you want to come over? My mom's been asking to meet you."

Elena's face fell, "I'm so sorry, I can't. I promised Caroline that Stefan and I would go on a double date with her and Matt."

"It's totally fine," I said. "I could use a day to myself to just think, and relax."

"Are you sure it's okay?" Elena asked.

"Of course it's okay." I said.

Elena sighed. I tried to hide my smile as I saw Stefan approaching us holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Elena noticed my expression and gasped when she turned around.

"You got me flowers!" She exclaimed.

Stefan shrugged. "Well I figured it's a date, why not do it right." '

"You know it's not too late to cancel." Elena said, with a hint of hopefulness to her voice.

"And why would we do that?" Stefan asked.

"I don't know it just seems surreal." Elena sighed. "Like maybe we weren't meant to get to the normal part."

"That's exactly why were going to do it." Stefan smiled, and I realized it was the first time I had seen him do so. "We're going to go out, have some fun, and try to remember that we don't have to be so serious."

I cleared my throat. "I should get going."

"I'll call you when I get home, promise." Elena pulled me into a hug.

"Don't worry about it." I said. "Remember what you told me, don't run from happiness. Go have fun."

Elena smiled. "That goes for you too."

I gave a small wave to Stefan, who nodded back at me, and walked out of the school to my car. Elena's words replayed in my mind as I drove home, and I knew she was right. As much as I love sitting on the couch with my parents just watching movies, I needed to go out and live my life. It had been so long since I let myself just be myself. Sure, I had joined the cheerleading squad. But the season was almost over. I could be doing more. Should be doing more.

When I got home, my mom was reading on the sofa. Dad probably wouldn't be home for another three hours or so. I walked up behind mom and gave her a hug, and peeked at the book she was reading. It was something about wellness in the home or whatever, typical.

"Hello honey," Mom said, looking up from her page. "How was school?"

"It was good, no practice so I'm free for the evening." I smiled.

"Well that's lovely," Mom said. "Do you have any plans? I know you certainly won't be using the extra time to do homework."

"Actually I was wondering . . ." I began. "Did we pack my cameras when we moved?"

Mom stared at me for a second. "What? I mean, of course we did. We wouldn't just get rid of those."

"Where are they?" I asked.

"Try the boxes in your father's office," Mom pondered. "Why, what are you wanting them for?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, it's a pretty town, I have some free time, I just thought . . ."

"Well don't let me stop you." Mom smiled. "Let me know if you can't find them. I'll help you look."

I gave her another hug and a kiss on the cheek. I could tell she was trying to suppress her smile, and not make a big deal out of it. It had been months since I had touched any of my cameras; I was surprised that she and dad didn't just decide to sell them when we moved. But I was thankful that they didn't.

"Let's see . . . 2008 case files . . . 2008 finances . . . 2009 case files . . ." I read the labels on the boxes out loud. "Lucy old picture stuff. Perfect."

I pulled out the box. Leave it to my dad to be organized enough to have everything perfectly labeled, but not so organized that he would actually be unpacked almost a week and a half after moving in. I lifted the lid from the box, and was thrilled to find that my cameras were inside.

"Let's see . . . what are we going to shoot with today." I thought aloud.

I pulled out my 35-millimeter film camera, and paused as the contents underneath were revealed. It was a black and white print of Brandon. I remembered that day perfectly. It was his sixteenth birthday, and we all pretended like it wasn't that big of a deal. Mom picked him up after school and drove him home, where we had planned a huge surprise party right in our front yard.

I took the picture right as they pulled into the driveway. It was a total creep shot, and the reflection from the car window occluded his face just a little bit, but I loved it nonetheless. I wasn't the only one; it had won a regional Scholastic Golden Key award. Everyone was so proud at the time.

I ran my hand over the photo. "I'm so sorry."

I blinked away a tear, and shook my head to push the sadness out of my mind. I rummaged through the box and opened the small pouch labeled _unused film_. I definitely wasn't in a digital mood today.

"Well that settles it then." I said, looking inside the bag. "We're going medium format today."

I pulled out the third of my cameras, a Hasselblad 500 c/m. It felt so sturdy in my hand. I examined the body, admiring the way the chrome accents stood out against the black. The camera itself was a work of art, and the detail it could give in a photo was insurmountable. It was one of the most meaningful gifts I had ever been given.

I loaded one roll of film into the camera, smiling as the knobs clicked underneath my hand. I slung the camera strap over my shoulder, and shoved the last two rolls of film into my sweatshirt pocket.

"Did you find everything okay?" Mom asked, as I emerged from the office.

I nodded and held up the camera. "Yup."

"Good." Mom smiled. "Do you know where you'll be?"

"Honestly not sure yet." I admitted. "I'm just gonna head into town and see where I end up. I heard the falls are really pretty; maybe I'll check them out. Especially since it's almost golden hour."

Mom nodded. "Just text me to keep me updated, especially if you'll be out past dark."

"I will mom." I said. "Bye, love you!"

"I love you too honey." Mom said.

I skipped out to my car, and began to drive, ready to wander around town until something caught my eye.

* * *

_And it's falling down  
As you walk away  
And it's on me now  
As you go_

_But oh, I'm staring at the mess I made  
I'm staring at the mess I made  
I'm staring at the mess I made  
As you turn, you take your heart and walk away_

I pulled into the parking area for the trails that led to the falls. It was completely empty, which was surprising, as I fully expected the cars of at least a few teenagers who were just seeking a quiet make out spot. I shivered as I stepped out of my car, and realized the temperature had dropped a lot since earlier that afternoon.

"Ah screw it." I mumbled, glancing at my passenger seat. "He clearly doesn't want it back anyways."

I grabbed Damon's black leather jacket and slid it on over my hoodie. It swallowed me, and I instantly felt shielded by the chill. As I started to march down one of the trails, I found myself reflecting on the Damon-Isobel-Elena situation. Or, I found myself reflecting on my confusion about the situation.

It just didn't make sense. Why was Elena so distraught over the fact that Damon knew her birth mother? She had already been avoiding me since we talked, so I was scared to ask any more questions. But something didn't quite add up about the situation. It was also such a weird coincidence that our history teacher just happened to be Elena's birth mother's ex husband. What are the odds that they both ended up in the same town?

I tried to push the thoughts of drama out of my mind. This is exactly what I was not supposed to be doing. I had told myself I would relax, and be happy. I took a deep breath, basking in the smell of the leaves. The foliage around me was absolutely stunning. It was peak fall, and the leaves were all beautiful shades of scarlet, gold, and orange.

The sun was coming through the trees illuminating each and every leaf. Even the dust in the air was illuminated by rays of sun peeking through the branches. Nature truly was magical. I stopped walking to take a photo of a light ray that was crossing the trail perfectly. I hoped that the film hadn't gone bad in the time I had neglected it. It was always so exciting to see how colors appear different on film.

I continued walking along the trail. It began to follow along the edge of a cliff, giving me a stunning view of the mountains. The haze of the golden hour made them look almost like a painting. The clouds were just beginning to fade into various shades of pink and orange.

The falls were just barely visible in the distance. I knew I wouldn't be able to make it there before I needed to turn around and head back, so I stepped up onto some rocks just off of the path to admire the view for a moment. Even from far away, the waterfall was stunning. I closed my eyes to focus on the barely audible sound of crashing water, overlapping with the rustling of leaves in the wind. I heard a twig break.

"Nice jacket." A voice came from behind me.

I snapped my head around and gasped. "Damon."

* * *

**A/N: So you found out a lot about Lucy in this chapter, thoughts? This is the longest chapter yet, though only by a couple dozen words. What do you think Damon is going to do to her in the next chapter? Are you excited for another Damon/Lucy scene? Are you scared? Please review I really do appreciate it :)**

**I hope I'm balancing between original scenes and scenes from the show well enough. I want to preserve integral plot points because there's a reason we all fell in love with the show, but I also want to develop my own storyline and make Lucy her own unique character. If anyone who reads this is a writer I'd love to have someone to chat with and bounce ideas off of, feel free to leave me a comment and I'll send you a message! - XO, Eden.**


	6. Chapter 6 - Crash Land

**A/N: Here we gooo picking up after the cliffhanger ;) This chapter officially marks 20,000 words! I'll either update next Tuesday, or when I get six new reviews or six new follows. Thanks for the support! XO, Eden.**

* * *

_Song: Crash Land_

_Artist: In Flight Safety_

_We're playing at our part of fools who do no harm  
We're parted to the part that's pushing us along  
We're looking for a way to stop or hit rewind  
A way to say goodbye  
To leave it all behind  
We'll hold our hands as we crash-land into the sea  
We'll ride it down into the ground  
Just you and me  
It's changing up its course  
It's headed for the fire  
Carried down in days  
Until the dust is hard  
As every true love's changed_

"Damon." I gasped. "What are you doing here?"

Damon was standing just a few feet away, leaning against a tree. He looked incredible, wearing a button down shirt over a black t-shirt, and jeans paired with black boots. I had no clue where he came from. I hadn't heard any footsteps behind me; I must have really been absorbed in my own thoughts.

"Just trying to figure out if you're incredibly stupid or just suicidal." Damon said, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Excuse me?" I crossed my arms.

"I'm pretty sure every person in this _town_ has told you it's not safe to be alone because of the animal attacks." Damon retorted. "And what do you do? Just go marching off on your own into the woods. You know, the place where animals live."

"It- it's daytime." I stuttered, still caught off guard by his presence.

Damon gestured towards the sun. "Not for long. Besides, they can come out in the day."

"Okay, so if it's so unsafe then why are _you_ out here alone?" I asked.

"I assigned myself to neighborhood watch duty." Damon smirked. "Which is clearly needed, since we have teenagers running around in the woods like _idiots_. What is it with you kids these days and not valuing your lives?"

"I value my life, thank you." I pressed my lips into a firm line. "I just wanted to take some pictures."

Damon gestured towards my camera. "With that thing? I haven't seen one of those in half a century. Is that really worth risking your life over?"

"Half a century? Don't be dramatic, what are you, 20?" I glared at him.

"Give or take a few years." Damon shrugged. "You really didn't think to bring a _single_ friend with you? I'm sure my annoying brother and his hero hair would love to play bodyguard in the forest."

"Your _brother_," I said. "Is on a date with Elena."

"Is that so." Damon raised his eyebrows. "I'm sure they would have cancelled their plans if they knew what you were getting into."

"And why do you care?" I asked.

"Well contrary to popular belief, I do actually care about Elena." Damon replied. "And for whatever reason, she seems to care about you, so I don't think she'd be too happy to find out that you were walking around playing prey just for the fun of it."

I sighed. He was an asshole, but he was right. To be honest, I hadn't been taking the animal attacks that seriously. I figured it wasn't that serious and that everyone was just making a big deal out of it because not a lot happened here. But it wasn't smart of me to come here, alone.

"Come on, it's getting dark. I'll walk you back." Damon put his hand up to silence me before I could protest. "And I'm _not_ taking no for an answer."

"I can walk back by myself." I mumbled.

"Can and should are two very different things." Damon said. "What's the hold up?"

My mind went back to Elena's tear stained face as she shoved Damon outside of the grill. Somehow I knew that she wouldn't be thrilled at the prospect of me spending time with him.

"Elena." I answered.

"Elena what?" Damon asked.

"Elena clearly doesn't trust you." I said, matter-of-factly. "So I don't trust you."

"Elena and I had a . . ." Damon's eyes widened as he trailed off. "Misunderstanding."

I crossed my arms. "So why don't you clear it up for me? How did you know Elena's birth mother?"

"I'm not talking about this with you." Damon stepped closer to me. "Now come on. Let's _go._"

Damon looped his hand around the crook of my elbow, and tugged me towards the direction of the parking lot. I snapped at him. "Don't touch me."

I jerked my arm around from his grasp and turned to storm away from him. He shows up, out of no where, after upsetting my friend and offering no explanation for it, and thinks he can just tell me what to do? Absolutely not.

Blind with anger, I didn't watch where I was going as I stepped down from the rocks. My foot landed on a patch of leaves, and my ankle twisted as they slid out from under me. Instinctively, I braced my fall with my right hand, and grabbed a sharp edge of rock.

"Shit." I said.

Damon was instantly crouched beside me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine I just . . ." I raised the hand that I had landed on. Blood was dripping from the small gash in my palm. "Okay maybe not completely fine."

"Jesus could you be more careful?" Damon turned his head away from me.

"Oh sorry, are you scared of blood?" I asked, clenching my fist to hide the cut.

"Trust me." Damon looked back at me, his eyes dark. "I'm not scared of blood."

"O-okay then." I said, not convinced.

Damon rolled his eyes, and stood up. He reached out a hand to help me up, and I took it with my uninjured one. I winced as I put weight on the ankle that had twisted. Damon looked at me with concern as I tried to limp down the path.

"It's fine." I said. "I'm fine."

"No you're not fine. Let me help you." Damon put his arm around me.

"I can walk, I don't need your help." I glared at him.

Damon looked at me. "Ok you can walk back. Maybe you'll make it there by your high school graduation."

"You don't need to be so rude." I whined. I kicked myself for how much I sounded like a child as the sentence escaped my mouth.

"Rude? Imagine if you were alone right now and had gotten hurt" Damon's eyes narrowed, and his face was so close to mine that I had to cross my eyes a little bit just to look at him. "You're lucky I'm here to help you."

"Lucky?" I scoffed. "I wouldn't have gotten hurt if you weren't pissing me off."

Damon unwrapped his arm from around me and took a step back. "Okay fine. I should just let you be alone, see how you fare. Have fun getting back to your car when you can't even walk."

Damon turned and walked away from me. Before I could even form a thought, he had already disappeared around the corner. I huffed with anger, and tried to walk after him. My ankle throbbed and threatened to give out when I stepped on it. It really hurt. _Shit_.

The sun was quickly disappearing behind the trees causing the temperature to drop, and I felt the chill even with Damon's jacket on. I cursed myself mentally for refusing his help. But he _was_ being an ass. And I didn't trust him. I couldn't trust him without understanding why Elena hated him so much. I heard a rustling motion from beyond the trees along the path.

"Damon?" I called out, my voice shaking.

Damon poked his head back out from around the corner, and I exhaled a sigh of relief at the sight of him. He tilted his head to the side and smirked as he walked back over to me.

"I'm just kidding, I wouldn't actually leave you." Damon said. "Stefan and Elena would kill me if I let something happen to you."

I forced a laugh, and looked back towards the tree line where the noise had come from. Damon stepped closer to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Nothing I just . . ." I shivered. "I thought I heard something in the woods."

Damon clenched his jaw as he looked in the same direction. "Okay. That's our cue to get the hell out of here."

Before I even realized what he was doing, Damon had picked me up and was carrying me. One arm was underneath my legs, and another around my back. I knew he was fit, but he was seriously holding me like I was no heavier than a bag of groceries. I opened my mouth to say something, and immediately decided against it.

"What?" Damon asked, catching my eye.

I shook my head. "Nothing."

Damon smirked, and walked down the trail. I let myself lean my head against his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of being held in his arms. In that moment, I let myself forget about whatever had happened between him and Elena. I felt safe with him.

Somehow, Damon navigated the trail back to the parking area while carrying me quicker than I would have been able to while uninjured on my own. Despite his speed, it was still dusk by the time we had reached my car.

"Keys?" Damon said expectantly.

"Pardon?" I asked.

Damon looked at my hand. "Do you really want to drive and get blood all over your steering wheel?"

I sighed, and reached into my- well his- coat pocket and handed him the keys to my Mustang. No one else had ever driven it, but I knew there was no use arguing with him. Damon smirked as he unlocked the car, and plopped me down directly into the passenger seat. I placed my camera on the floor, and got my phone out to send my parents a quick text letting them know I was fine and not to wait up for dinner.

Damon started the car and reversed onto the road. He was driving so fast, yet looked so cool and collected as he did so. Nervously, I let my eyes glance over at him. One hand was draped lazily over the console, and the other was gripping the top of the steering wheel.

"Nice ring." I commented, noting the large piece of jewelry on his middle finger.

Damon pursed his lips and stretched out his fingers, as if to examine the ring. "Thanks. Stefan has the same one. Brotherly bonding and all."

"Huh." I said. "You two don't seem that close."

Damon shrugged. "Used to be. And now we aren't. But it's the sentiment of it all."

"What happened?" I asked. His expression made me immediately regret it.

Damon glanced at me. "We fell in love with the same girl."

I nodded. "Katherine?"

Damon clenched his jaw. "Who told you about Katherine?"

"Elena mentioned her in passing." I realized that the backstory Elena had given me was something I wasn't supposed to know. "What was she like?"

"She was . . . beautiful." Damon paused. "A lot like you in that department. But she was also very complicated. And selfish. At times not very kind but very sexy and seductive."

I nodded, my cheeks flushing at the subtle compliment he had given me. "So, which one of you dated her first?"

Damon chuckled, but it wasn't a happy laugh. "Nicely deduced. Ask Stefan, I'm sure his answer differs from mine."

"I'm sorry." I put my hand on Damon's arm, and he furrowed his brow. "About Katherine. That you lost her."

Damon's expression softened for a moment, and then he shook his head and clenched his jaw. "I no longer have any desire to see Katherine. Ever again."

I squeezed his arm, but didn't say anything. For the first time since Saturday night, I began to see him differently. I realized that maybe it wasn't as simple as Stefan being the perfect boyfriend, and Damon being the jerk of an older brother. Did Elena even know that Stefan also dated Katherine? I shook my head. Of course she did. Maybe that was part of why she hated Damon so much, she had only heard Stefan's side of things.

We sat in silence for the rest of the ride. I half expected Damon to pull his arm away from me, or say something that was equally snarky and flirtatious. But he didn't. He pulled off into a driveway, and I instantly recognized the massive Salvatore home.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"What, you didn't think I was going to drop you off at home looking all bloody and gross, did you?" Damon shook his head, and pulled my car around to the back of the house, where there was a massive garage.

Somehow he managed to be at the passenger door opening it for me before I could even get my hand on the handle. He picked me up once again, and carried me into the house. It was even more daunting at nighttime, the dim light dancing around the extravagant pieces of furniture and casting shadows everywhere. Damon brought me upstairs into a different bedroom than the one I had been in before, and into the bathroom. He set me down on the counter in between two sinks.

"Wait here." He instructed, as if I really had a choice.

My fingers tapped on the counter as I looked around the bathroom. It was huge, practically the size of my bedroom. In one corner was a freestanding tub, and next to it was a massive glass walled shower. There were four showerheads, and I wondered why on earth someone would need that many shower heads.

Damon came back into the room holding a bag of ice. He handed it to me, and I held it against my swollen ankle with my left hand.

"Let's take a look at that hand." He said, and held my right hand in his.

He reached over me into the mirror cabinet and pulled out a bottle of witch hazel. I tried not to wince as he wiped the cut clean. He was so gentle as he wrapped my hand in a bandage; it was such a contrast from the brazenly snarky persona he put on in the forest. I looked at him with admiration as he worked, his brow just slightly furrowed and his dark lashes shielding my view from his beautiful eyes.

"There." He smirked as he looked up at me. "Good news, you'll live."

"Damon . . ." I lost my train of thought for a moment as I looked into his eyes. "Thank you. I mean it."

"Don't mention it." Damon shrugged. "You can thank me by not running around endangering your life like an idiot anymore."

I rolled my eyes. Leave it to him to ruin an almost sweet moment. But he caught me off guard once again, and brought his hand to my face. He tilted my chin up to him, and then off to the side.

"You know, you kind of look like her, too." He said, examining my face.

"Like who?" I asked.

"Katherine." He murmured. "Not exactly. But there's something very . . . familiar about you."

My eyes lingered on his as his thumb ran across my cheek. There was no way for me to respond to him telling me that I reminded him of the woman who broke his heart. I wondered if he looked at me and felt the same resentment he felt towards her.

I put my hand over his, holding it to my face. He inched closer to me, his eyes still wandering over every feature of my face. For just a moment, I wanted to close the distance between us, let myself succumb to the undeniable attraction I had for him and just ignore every sign that said he was dangerous. But he pulled away and made a face before I could let the thought turn into a reality.

"Goody." He mumbled. "Here comes the neighborhood."

"What?" I tilted my head with confusion. Moments later, I heard their front door open. "How did you . . ."

I pushed myself off of the counter, and limped into the hallway. I looked over the railing to see Matt, Caroline, Elena, and Stefan. Apparently their double date had gone well, as they had decided to extend it by coming back here. None of them had seen me yet, so I leaned against the railing and used it as a crutch to get down the stairs.

"Man I've always wanted to see what it looks like in this place." Matt's voice echoed across the massive ceiling.

"Yeah I guess it's uh, a bit much." Stefan replied, clearly uncomfortable.

Matt chuckled. "Yeah my entire house could fit in here like, twice."

"I feel like I've been here before." Caroline said. "It's . . . weird."

"Do you guys want to watch a movie or something?" Elena suggested. Her eyes scanned the room and fell upon me, leaning in the doorway.

"Hey." I said, and waved awkwardly.

"Lucy what? What are you doing here?" Elena asked.

I heard Damon's voice behind me. "Found her wandering alone in the woods. Figured you wouldn't be too happy if a bear or something ate her, so I dragged her back here."

"_Damon_." Elena stormed towards him. She looked me up and down, her eyes falling on my bandaged hand. "Damon did you hurt her? Did he hurt you?"

"What? No." I answered. "I fell. He actually helped me. I'm . . . lucky he was there."

I didn't need to turn around to know that Damon was smirking behind me. He must love hearing me admit I'm happy he ran into me. Stefan was eyeing Damon with so much intensity that I was half expecting Damon to burst into flames at any moment. Matt and Caroline were exchanging glances with one another; I felt horrible for how awkward they must feel watching this exchange.

Elena crossed her arms. "And what were _you_ doing in the woods Damon?"

"Just keeping an eye on things." Damon said, and changed the topic. "I saw our friends Pearl and Anna today, Stefan. They say hi."

Elena ignored Damon and looked at me. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. I promise." Elena shifted awkwardly, and looked back at Stefan who also seemed unsure of what to say.

"See Elena. I'm not always the big bad brother." Damon stepped forward and his arm brushed against mine. "So what's this I hear about a movie? What are we all going to watch?"

Elena's eyes narrowed at Damon. I had never seen her so infuriated. It was so clear she didn't want him to join them. I wasn't even sure she'd want me to join them. Not just because I'd be crashing her date, but also because she was so mad that I had been hanging out with Damon. If you could even call it that. Stefan was so tense; I could have sworn he hadn't even breathed in a few minutes.

Elena turned to Stefan for support. "Stefan- tell him-"

"Woah these are great." Matt walked over to a shelf, clearly trying to distract from the uncomfortable tension in the room.

Stefan welcomed the distraction. "That's just a little hobby of mine."

"I did the entire Mustang series when I was nine." Matt smiled, eyeing Stefan's shelf of model cars.

"You like cars?" Stefan asked him.

"That's an understatement." Matt laughed.

Stefan nodded. "Come with me."

Elena was still staring at Damon and me. I awkwardly gestured towards Stefan, Matt, and Caroline, whom were all leaving the room, and she huffed and turned to follow them. Damon offered me his arm for support, and I took it, praying that Elena wouldn't turn around and see me holding on to him. She was already mad enough.

Stefan led us outside and to the garage. Elena shot a glance at my car as we passed it. Stefan opened one of the garage doors and uncovered a car. I almost gasped; it was a red Porsche Coupe from the 60's. It was easily worth over a hundred grand, though given the house I shouldn't have been surprised.

"Woah wait, how do you have this?" Matt asked.

Stefan shrugged. "Got passed down through the family."

Matt gestured at the car in awe. "Why don't you drive it?"

"Well it uh, doesn't run." Stefan admitted. "At least not that I could figure out."

"Why would you keep a car that doesn't run?" Caroline interjected, sounding annoyed.

"Be more of a girl right now." Matt teased, and Caroline rolled her eyes. I wondered if maybe their night hadn't actually gone that well.

"Hey why don't you come take a look at this for me?" Stefan suggested.

"Elena remember the old Camaro your dad used to have?" Matt asked.

Elena smiled. "Of course."

"Yeah. I built and rebuilt that engine 20 times." Matt told Stefan with pride.

"Wow." Stefan nodded.

"Well I don't like sports cars." Caroline interrupted their bro fest. "They're too hard to make out in."

Matt looked at Elena. "Nah it wasn't that bad."

Elena froze, and glared at Matt. The look on Matt's face let me know he instantly regretted what he said. Caroline turned and stormed out of the garage, and Elena sighed. Somehow I knew that this wasn't the first issue the foursome had run into that night. Elena had told me that she and Matt used to date, and it was clearly causing issues for Matt and Caroline. Or maybe just Caroline.

"Lucy, can you come with me?" Elena asked.

"What?" I was confused; I thought she didn't want me around right now.

"Please?" She looked at me. "Trust me, after the night we've had I can't tackle this one alone."

I nodded, and Elena turned to follow after her. Damon winked at me, and I just shook my head at him. Hobbling along, I trailed after Elena, leaving the three boys in the garage to work out the many levels of discomfort between them.

* * *

_We measure out our time__  
__Time to say goodbye and leave it all behind__  
__We'll hold our hands as we crash-land into the sea__  
__We'll ride it down into the ground__  
__Just you and me__  
__We'll hold our hands as we crash-land into the sea__  
__We'll ride it down into the ground__  
__Just you and me__  
__We'll hold our hands as we crash-land into the sea__  
__We'll ride it down into the ground__  
__Just you and me_

* * *

**A/N: Yay! A long awaited Damon/Lucy scene. Please leave your thoughts! I'd love to hear how you feel about the slow building tension between them. Do you think Lucy will prioritize her friendship with Elena? Or will she let herself fall for Damon? **


	7. Chapter 7 - Lovesick Mistake

**A/N: Omg, this got six new reviews within a few hours of me posting the last chapter, so thanks so so much for all the support. I'm trying to pace myself and make sure I still have plenty of quality chapters written before posting a new one but I'll update Tuesday if not before. Xo, Eden. **

* * *

_Song: Lovesick Mistake_

_Artist: Erin McCarley_

_Oh dear, what can I say?  
I'm high here, up and spinning away  
From a kiss of a thrill to be filled  
Can someone hear me?  
Love, what do you say?  
Your mystery winds me up to be playful  
Oh here goes that curious sinner within  
Is someone listening?  
Hope no one is listening_

_How do I slow down?  
Cause I can't relate to my heart now  
Thrown what I know is enough for me out  
I'm running on empty  
I've gotta find someway  
To fumble right through this new heartache, it's torn me apart  
Oh lovesick mistake, turn me away_

I followed Elena, who was a good ten feet ahead of me and my sprained ankle. Caroline was leaning against a brick wall at the edge of Stefan and Damon's yard. She had to have heard us coming, but didn't acknowledge us at all.

"Caroline . . ." Elena tried to speak, but Caroline spun around and cut her off.

"I don't want to talk about it." Caroline stated. She looked at me, "Great. You hurt your ankle. There goes my cheerleading squad. Again."

"Caroline." Elena crossed her arms. "You can be mad at me, but don't take it out on Lucy."

Caroline raised her eyebrows. "Oh, so you're allowed to get mad at Lucy, but I'm not?"

"I'm not mad at Lucy." Elena replied.

"You're not?" I asked.

Elena looked at me. "We can talk about it later. Caroline you're being ridiculous."

"And insecure, and stupid, but that doesn't change the fact that Matt's always gonna be in love with you and I'm always gonna be the backup." Caroline said.

Elena shook her head. "You're not the backup."

"Yes I am." Caroline snapped. "I'm Matt's Elena backup. I'm your Bonnie backup."

Elena laughed with anger. "Now it's about me and Bonnie?"

Caroline shook her head. "You don't get it. And why would you? You're everyone's first choice. Right Lucy? I mean she's been your best friend ever since you got here?"

I opened my mouth, but Elena turned to me. "You don't have to answer that."

The rev of an engine interrupted us, and we turned to see the red Porsche pulling out of the driveway. Stefan pulled the vehicle up to us, and Matt got out of the passenger seat. I looked around for Damon, and saw him leaning against the wall of the garage. His facial expression was obscured by the shadows of the night.

"Piece of cake." Matt said with a grin.

Matt looked at Caroline, who avoided his gaze. He shifted his gaze awkwardly from Caroline, to Elena, and then looked at his shoes. Swinging the keys around his finger, Stefan got out of the car and immediately noticed that Caroline was still upset.

"You know what? Why don't you guys go ahead and take it for a spin?" Stefan suggested, tossing the keys to Matt.

"Really?" Matt perked up.

Stefan nodded. "Yeah."

Matt opened the passenger door. "Caroline?"

Caroline huffed and reluctantly got in. No matter what issues they were having, a teenage girl would have to be crazy not to want to go for a drive in an expensive car with her boyfriend. Elena nodded with approval at Stefan, who just smiled and put his arm around Elena as Matt and Caroline drove off.

"You alright?" Stefan asked her.

Elena laughed. "If it's not birth mothers, it's girlfriends."

Stefan chuckled and pulled Elena in for a hug. Suddenly, I felt like a third wheel, and glanced around awkwardly. Damon had chosen this time to approach us.

"Well isn't that sweet." Damon smirked.

"Brother." Stefan warned, and Elena glared at Damon.

Damon put his hands up. "What's wrong? Matt and Caroline are happy, you and Elena are happy. All is well."

"All is not well _Damon_." Elena spat out his name. "And you know it."

"Elena he really didn't do anything wrong. . ." I tried to defend Damon, and he put his hand up to silence me.

"Didn't do anything wrong? Did you hear that Damon? You haven't done _anything_ wrong. How does it feel?" Elena yelled.

"Fantastic." Damon raised his eyebrows and smirked.

"Urgh." Elena let out a frustrated yell. "Come on. Let's go wait for them inside."

"Wonderful idea." Damon smiled.

I shook my head at him, praying that he would stop trying to provoke Elena. He rolled his eyes, but didn't follow us as Elena looped her arm into mine and helped me into the house.

I sat on one of the red sofas in the living room. "Elena, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad . . . I was just . . . out taking pictures and I ran into him."

Elena shook her head. "I told you, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at _him_."

"Why? What did he do that was so awful?" I asked. "I mean, I know he dated your birth mother. But what happened?"

"I'm gonna leave you two alone to talk about this." Stefan said, and exited the room.

"I'm not mad at him for dating my birth mother." Elena said. "It's more complicated than that. But first of all, he's dated everyone."

"Really?" I asked, feeling my cheeks flush just a little bit.

Elena nodded. "I mean, he took Caroline on a few dates earlier this semester and it didn't go well. She was really into him and he treated her horribly and left her super torn up."

"Oh . . . I had no idea . . ." I said.

Caroline must really hate me. First I accidentally hit on Matt, and now I'm spending time with her ex boyfriend. It wasn't like anything happened between us, but I couldn't deny my attraction to him. That also didn't sound like Damon though. Sure, he was snarky as hell. But when I actually needed him, he was so sweet and caring towards me, and I barely even knew him. That was it though, I barely even knew him. I had know idea what he's like once you get to know him.

"That's why I don't like him hanging around you." Elena put her hand over mine. "I don't want you getting hurt. I've been around him, I know he's attractive, and mysterious, and can be so charming and sweet when he wants to be. It would be so easy to fall for that."

My eyes narrowed a bit. For a moment, the thought crossed my mind that maybe Elena had feelings for Damon, and that's why she didn't want me around him. Then I realized how ridiculous that sounded, and I pushed the thought from my mind. She was just stating facts. She clearly loved Stefan.

"I won't." I said. Elena looked at me skeptically, so I held out my hand. "Pinky promise."

Elena laughed, and linked her pinky in mine. It was one of the harder promises I'd had to make. If I was being honest with myself, I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep it. But Elena's friendship meant more to me than some boy I'd spent a couple of hours with. Even though I was attracted to him, I should be able to push him out of my mind. I'd have to make an effort to avoid him, which shouldn't be too hard. It wasn't like he went to school with us or anything.

Matt and Caroline came into the room, holding hands and clearly happier than before. As if on cue, Stefan came back into the room after them. I wondered if he had been listening to our conversation, and how he felt about what Elena said about Damon.

"You guys all good?" Elena asked.

Matt looked at Caroline for approval, who nodded. "Yes. But we should probably head out, it's getting kind of late."

"We should get going to. Drive safe you guys." Elena said to them.

I gave a tiny wave to Caroline, but couldn't read her expression when she looked at me before walking away with Matt. They exited through the front door, and I heard Matt's truck drive off. It would be ridiculous if Caroline was actually mad at me for getting hurt, but I wouldn't put it past her. She truly cared about her squad, and would now have to rework the routines.

Elena stood up and looked at me. "Come on, we'll walk you to your car."

I took her arm and Stefan walked behind us back out to the garage. Damon's Camaro was gone. Not that I could blame him, I wouldn't want to stick around for any more drama if I was him either.

"Are you sure you don't need one of us to drive you home?" Elena asked.

I nodded. "I'll be fine."

Elena gave me a hug, and ran a hand along my hair. She smiled as she pulled away from me.

"You're still wearing your necklace." She said. She must have felt the chain on my neck.

"Of course." I smiled. "I promised, remember?"

Stefan looked at Elena with a confused expression, so she filled him in on our first pinky promise. "Alex's necklace looks really similar to the one you gave me, so we decided we'd both wear them all the time as sort of a friendship necklace."

She raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly as she spoke to him, as if there was something he was supposed to understand about the statement. Stefan looked off to the side, confused for a moment. Then he nodded; probably just to please her. I'm sure he thought it was girly and dumb that we care about our matching necklaces.

"Alright well, see you two tomorrow?" I said.

"See you tomorrow." Elena nodded.

* * *

_Time says "it's the end of the day"  
My inside says for your lips to forget what time says  
Why can't I let go of the feel when you steal the logic around me?  
God save me, I'm trying_

_How do I slow down?  
Cause I can't relate to my heart now  
Thrown what I know is enough for me out  
I'm running on empty  
I've gotta find someway  
To fumble right through this new heartache, it's torn me apart  
Oh lovesick mistake, turn me away_

Once home, I had to answer about a million questions from my parents as to why I was hurt. It really wasn't that bad; I was sure I'd be walking like normal in a few days and the cut on my hand didn't even hurt that bad. But they worried about everything.

I had changed in to my favorite flannel pajama pants and a tank top, and was curled up on the couch reading _The Great Gatsby_. Admittedly, it was a pretty good book, but because it was schoolwork I was struggling to get through it. I jumped as the doorbell rang. It was almost ten, who could possibly be here at this hour? My parents were in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner, so I hobbled over to the door.

"Took you long enough." Damon smirked as I opened the door.

"Damon . . ." I crossed my arms. "You shouldn't be here."

"Believe me, I'd rather not be." Damon said. "But you ran off with my jacket. Again. Which I'm quite fond of, so I came to get it back."

"How did you even know where I live?" I asked.

"Elena left her phone lying around while she and Stefan were . . . occupied." Damon winked. "I was sorely disappointed in the lack of discussion about my charming good looks between the two of you."

Elena. She'd be furious if she knew he was here. It had barely even been two hours since she told me not to talk to him. This was going to be even harder than I thought.

"Honey? Who's at the door?" My mom emerged from the kitchen.

"It's my friend Damon." I said. "He came to pick up a jacket I borrowed. Sorry, I didn't know he was coming over."

"Oh it's fine, you know your friends are always welcome here." Mom eyed me. It wasn't like me to have attractive men over, especially at this hour. "Well don't be rude honey, invite him in."

"Yes, don't be rude Lucy, invite me in." Damon repeated, not even attempting to mask the playful tone in his voice.

I rolled my eyes. "Come in, Damon."

"I'll be in your fathers office helping him organize the mess he calls his paperwork." Mom gave me a knowing look. "Don't stay up too late, it's a school night."

"I know, mom." I said, and waited until she was out of earshot before turning to Damon. "It's um, upstairs. In my room."

"Lead the way." Damon gestured.

I slowly went over to the stairs and gripped the railing, hopping up one stair at a time. Damon put his hand on my back, and I nearly jumped. I turned to see him holding out his arm.

"Allow me." He said.

"Thank you." I replied. It came out as a near whisper.

I brought Damon into my bedroom, where his jacket rested at the foot of my bed. I sat on the bed and folded the jacket into my lap. Damon stood in the middle of my floor, looking around the room. Suddenly, I became very aware of the fact that he was in my bedroom. It made me feel . . . embarrassed, almost.

"What, not nineteenth century gothic enough for you?" I teased.

Damon shook his head. "No, not enough anything. You have the blank walls of a serial killer."

"I just moved in!" I defended myself. "I haven't finished decorating."

"Clearly." Damon said.

He walked over and sat next to me on the bed. He was just a few inches of me, making me hyperaware of his presence. When he looked at me, I just wanted to let myself enjoy looking at his entrancing eyes. But I couldn't.

"Damon." I sighed. "You shouldn't be here."

"What, do your parents have a 'no boys in the bedroom' rule?" Damon smirked.

I crossed my arms. "No. _Here._ At my house."

"And why is that?" He raised his eyebrows with curiosity.

"Because of Elena." I explained. "She told me not to hang around you."

"Well what Elena doesn't know won't hurt her." Damon leaned closed to me, making my heart pound. "Besides, why should she get to tell you what to do?"

"Because she's a good friend." I said.

"Hmm." Damon scoffed. "You've been here what, like a week? How good of a friend can she be?"

"I don't know how to explain it to you." I said. "We just have a special bond. Like family."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Family is overrated."

Once again, his face was incredibly close to mine. I could make out every dark eyelash that framed his eyes, every little piece of stubble along his jawline. Licking my lips, I looked up at him and saw that he was looking down at . . . my chest.

"Really?" I glared and leaned away from him.

"Relax." Damon said. "I'm looking at your necklace."

"Heard that one before." I muttered.

"No really. Stefan used to have one like that; I believe he gave it to Elena. May I get a closer look at it?" He gestured towards my necklace.

I looked at him, and closed my hand around it. "Why?"

"I just want to see how similar they are. I think Stefan's was a family heirloom." Damon shrugged. "Come on, I'll let you try on my ring."

I sighed, but took Damon's ring out of his hand. I slid it onto my middle finger, but as expected it was way to large. My other hand went up to the back of my neck, and pulled my hair out of the way. Damon undid the clasp of my necklace, grazing against my shoulder as he pulled the necklace away.

He held the necklace by the delicate chain as he examined the flowers etched on the surface. Not sure what to say to fill the silence, I turned my attention to his ring. It was a signet ring, with a large blue stone that had some sort of family crest in the center. I twisted it back and forth; I had never seen something like it before. He closed his hand over mine, and I looked up to see his head tilted, a curious expression on his face.

"Tell me the truth Lucy." His eyes darkened as he spoke to me. They entranced me, icy and mysterious. "What do you really think of me?"

"You're the most attractive man I've ever met in my life. But you're so mysterious. I know almost nothing about you, and that scares me." I admitted.

The words came out before I could stop them. It wasn't what I wanted to say. I wanted to say, _You're Stefan's older brother and Elena seems to be wary of you and I'm still trying to figure out why_. But the truth came out instead. Damon smirked at my response, and I felt my face flush. He knew how I felt about him now.

"That's too easy." He said, and leaned closer. "What's your darkest secret?"

"I killed my brother." I whispered.

"Woah. Too dark." His tone was teasing, and I could have swore I saw him smirk, but his eyes widened, and he leaned away from me.

I felt my heart jolt. I had never said it out loud. I shouldn't have said it out loud. Damon couldn't know. No one should know. My breathing became shallow. The room felt like it was spinning, and I kept looking around the walls for something to focus on. Damon put his hand under my chin and tilted my face so I was looking at him again.

"Shh, it's okay." He whispered, running his hand up and down my neck. "There's no need to get upset."

His voice was so soothing. The second he spoke I felt calm. My heart rate slowed, and I took a deep breath. I just stared at him, into his eyes. Damon furrowed his brow, and looked down at the piece of jewelry dangling from his fingers. He nodded at it, as if it had spoken some secret to him that I couldn't hear. Gently, he lowered the necklace back into my hand.

"Listen to me. You're going to put this back on, and you're not going to take it off if anyone asks you too." He instructed. "Forget that I asked you anything. I came over to get my jacket, told you that I thought your necklace looked like a family heirloom, and then we talked about Matt and Caroline's fight. Do you understand?"

I nodded, and slowly fastened my necklace back around my neck. I set my hands back down, and Damon placed his hand over mine. His thumb traced around the stone of his ring that was still on my finger. I looked at him, exploring his face intently.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" I asked. "I just zoned out for a moment."

"Just that your friend Caroline could benefit from switching to decaf in the mornings." Damon smirked.

"Oh, right." I nodded. "Elena said you and Caroline dated, is that true?"

Damon scoffed. "Absolutely not. We hung out a few times so that she wasn't such a third wheel to Elena and Stefan. I realized she was developing feelings that I didn't return, so I broke it off."

"Oh." I replied. "Is that all? Elena made it sound . . . worse."

"Like I said. Elena's judgey." Damon's voice lowered. "Why, are you jealous?"

I rolled my eyes. "No. Just curious."

"Good." Damon said. "Nothing to be jealous of."

"What about her mom?" I asked. "Birth mom, I mean."

Damon shook his head. "You, my dear, ask too many questions."

"I'm just trying to understand what Elena's issue with you is." I shrugged.

"Trust me, you're better off not knowing." Damon said. "I should get going."

With one swift motion, he slid his hand away from mine, taking his ring with him. He held it up and winked at me.

"Sorry, can't let you hold onto this one for a week." He smirked.

As he stood up, I handed him his jacket that was still folded in my lap. He put it on, and I admired they way he looked wearing the black leather jacket. He truly looked like the bad boy from an eighties romantic comedy. _Look, but don't touch,_ I reminded myself.

He turned back to me before walking out the door. "Good night, Lucy. Sleep tight."

"Goodnight Damon." I whispered.

Leaning back against my pillows, I attempted to refocus my attention back to my book. But it was useless. I found myself just rereading the same paragraph, over and over. Damon had taken up permanent residence in my mind. I heard a knock on the doorframe, and looked up to see both of my parents standing there.

"Is your friend gone honey?" Mom asked.

"Yeah he went home." I said.

Dad narrowed his eyes. "He?"

"Yes Peter, Lucy has a gentleman caller." Mom teased.

"It's not like that." I rolled my eyes. "He's Elena's boyfriends' older brother."

"And just how old is he?" Dad asked.

"I'm . . . not sure." I admitted. "Twenty something."

"Hmph." Dad grumbled. "Doesn't he have any friends his own age?"

"Relax, Peter." Mom said. "Lucy honey, we're just glad to see you making friends. That's all that matters."

I smiled. "Thanks mom."

"Well, we just came in to say goodnight. We love you sweetheart." Mom came over to give me a quick kiss on the forehead.

I hugged her. "Night mom. Night dad. Love you."

* * *

_I think I'll disappear  
Leave my head in the air for a chance to feel  
So far far away from here  
I know I can't stay too long  
I don't belong here_

_I've gotta find someway  
To fumble right through this new heartache, it's torn me apart  
Oh lovesick mistake  
Turn me away  
Turn me away_

I thought time was supposed to heal all wounds. But it seemed as if the longer I stayed in Mystic Falls, the more vivid my nightmares became. Each time I had one, I felt like I had jumped through time and was back in the day it happened.

_With only the dim street lights to aid me, I squinted to make out the numbers on the piece of paper. I looked back at the numbers illuminated above the door frame, and turned off the car._

_"__Twenty one fifteen East Haven." I confirmed. "This is it." _

_"__Luc." Brandon put his hand on my arm. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" _

_I nodded. "I just want to meet him. I want to know why, you know?" _

_"__What if he doesn't have a reason?" Brandon asked. _

_"__Well then," I said. "He's going to have to tell me to my face that there was no reason that he didn't want me as a daughter." _

_Brandon sighed. "Okay, Luc. I'll be here whenever you're done."_

_"__Thank you, B. For coming. It really means a lot." I said. _

_Brandon just nodded. There wasn't anything left to say. Taking a deep breath, I got out of my car and slammed the white door behind me. The storms of the previous days were over, but the air was still damp and cold. Observing the all brick façade and the four white columns, I slowly walked up the steps and knocked on the black door. _

_A woman answered. She must have been in her early seventies. Her dark skin was wrinkled, and her hair was grey. She tilter her head at me, her deep brown eyes filled with concern. _

_"__What's a young thing like you doing out here all alone at this hour?" She asked. "What can I help you with, love?" _

_I looked at the piece of paper again, then back up at her. "I'm looking for John Gilbert."_

* * *

**A/N: Ahhhhh more Damon and Lucy yay! But omg, she killed her brother? What do you think happened? Many of you have said you think that Lucy is Elena's sister, so stay tuned! Xo, Eden. **


	8. Chapter 8 - East

**A/N: I said I wasn't going to update until Tuesday but I managed to get a lot of writing done so here you are! I say it every time but thanks for the reviews, you've all been super kind in them and I really do appreciate it. So far this fic has had over a thousand hits, and I believe this chapter marks 30,000 words! Alaric is finally starting to become more important to the story in this chapter, which I'm excited about because he's one of my favorite characters, it feels so weird to refer to him as "Mr. Saltzman" since it's Lucy's POV. I hope you guys like this chapter, please leave a review! Also, still looking for another writer to chat about writing with if anyone is interested. Xo, Eden. **

* * *

_Song: East_

_Artist: Systems Officer_

_There are secrets buried inside__  
__That you ought to know__  
__That you need to know__  
__Just another time that we don't share__  
__It's an hour long, but we don't care_

I stared into my locker, absolutely miserable at the prospect of a full day of school. There was a massive storm brewing, and the sky was already ominously dark and the wind was whistling so loud I could hear it inside the school hallway. On top of that, I had hardly gotten any sleep. I wasn't ready to face Caroline, and I sure as heck wasn't ready to face Elena and tell her that Damon had showed up at my house last night.

As if she knew I had been thinking about her, Caroline Forbes manifested out of thin air. I closed my locker and was immediately ambushed by an energetic hug that smothered me in a sea of blonde hair. Caroline pulled back, a serious look on her face.

"I am _so_ sorry." She said. "I was so mean to you last night and you didn't deserve that."

I smiled. "No Caroline, it's okay. I'm the one who should be apologizing, you have every right to hate me."

"Who do you think I am?" Caroline asked. "I could never actually hate you for getting hurt. I mean sure, it's going to totally screw up cheer practice for a week or two, but it's nothing I can't handle. Besides, it's not like you did it on purpose."

"No, it's not that." I shook my head. "I meant about Damon."

Caroline tilted her head. "What about Damon?"

"Elena told me that you dated him, and it didn't end well." I explained. "I mean, I can't imagine how that felt. First your double date didn't go as planned, and then you come back to Stefan's house and I'm there hanging out with your ex."

"Um, no." Caroline shook her head. "I don't know what Elena's talking about, but I'm totally over Damon. If you have a thing for the hottie older brother, I'm all for it."

"Really?" I was confused. Elena made it sound like Caroline was absolutely heartbroken over Damon but that clearly wasn't the case.

"Really." Caroline nodded. "I'd rather have you check out Damon than check out Matt. It's bad enough having to compete with Elena for his attention; I don't need to compete with Elena 2.0 as well."

I laughed. "Elena 2.0?"

"Yeah, that's what everyone calls you now." Caroline stated.

"What happened to new girl?" I asked.

"That nickname got old." Caroline explained. "Elena 2.0 is much more fitting. I mean come on, have you seen you two together? You're like . . . the brooding brunette twins of Mystic Falls High."

"I'll take it." I shrugged. "Anyways, speaking of Elena I actually need to go talk to her about something. See you in class."

"Of course." Caroline smiled. "Let me know if you need any help getting around today, okay Elena 2.0?"

Caroline bounced off to go talk to a couple of the cheerleaders who were gathered down the hall. I turned and went to go find Elena. It was still pretty early, but the halls were starting to fill with students. She had to be getting here soon, if she wasn't already. I managed to intercept her just as she was walking to her locker.

"Hey." She smiled. "You're here early. What's up?"

"I don't know, you tell me." My voice came out angrier than I intended for it to. "I just talked to Caroline."

"Talked to Caroline . . . about what?" Elena's eyes shifted back and forth. "She's not still mad at you about the cheer squad is she."

I shook my head. "No she's not. She's not mad at me about anything. In fact, I talked to her about Damon, and she said she doesn't care about him at all. So what was up with that story?"

"Lucy . . ." Elena sighed. "It's more complicated than that."

"Why is it complicated?" I asked. "Is it because of Katherine? Is that why you hate him?"

Elena looked shocked. "Damon talked to you about Katherine?"

"Yes. He did." My eyes narrowed. "And I'm guessing you didn't want him to."

"What- what did he tell you?" Elena stammered.

"Oh not much. Just that he and Stefan both dated her, which I'm sure you already knew." I said. "He also told me that I look like her."

"I'm sorry, he said that _you_ look like Katherine?" Elena let out an angry laugh. "Why don't you ask to see a picture of her the next time you two hang out, since you're _so_ close now?"

"Yeah, maybe I'll ask him to bring one next time he comes over." I said coolly.

Elena froze. "Next time?"

I immediately regretted saying it. I was mad at her for not being honest with me, but I knew that would upset her. I should have been gentler about it. My shoulders dropped, and I looked at her apologetically.

"Yeah. He showed up at my house to get his jacket back." I admitted.

"He came over to your house?" Elena's mouth was open with shock. "Tell me you didn't let him in. Lucy _please_ tell me you told him to leave."

"I didn't." I looked at the floor. "He came inside and we talked for a little bit. Elena I'm sorry I didn't-"

"Oh my god." Elena whispered, cutting me off. "He's been invited in. I have to go find Stefan."

"Elena wait." I called after her, but it was too late.

Elena had already turned and run off. I knew I had messed up. I should have told Damon to leave when he showed up at my house. I had promised Elena I wouldn't hang around him anymore, and it only took me a few hours to break that promise.

Now she was mad at me, and had gone to find Stefan. They were probably going to go yell at Damon and tell him to leave me alone. Despite how upset Elena was with me, I wasn't sure how I felt about that. After yesterday . . . the way I felt when I was with Damon . . . the way he just made me lose my ability to think straight. I wasn't sure I was ready to lose that feeling.

With no one else left to talk to, I decided to make my way to history class a bit early. I was already dreading Elena showing up to class. I wasn't sure what to say to her when she did, or if she would even hear it. The classroom was dark, but Mr. Saltzman was there arranging papers on his desk.

He looked up when I came into the classroom. "Good morning Lucy. Is everything alright?"

I shrugged. "Just got here a bit early today."

"Well early is good. Better than late, which a lot of students seem to be at this time of year." Mr. Saltzman chuckled. "Is everything alright there?"

"What? Oh. Oh yeah." I realized he had noticed me limping. "I just sprained my ankle, no big deal."

"Oof. Well besides that, how has Mystic Falls been treating you?" He asked.

"It's been . . . pretty good." I said, going over to his desk. "Everyone's been really welcoming so far."

"Yeah? From what I saw at the auction you and Elena have really hit it off. That's good. She and her family are good people." He said. I felt a pang of guilt in my chest at the mention of Elena.

"You know her family?" I asked. "I thought you were new here."

"I know of them." Mr. Saltzman shrugged.

I nodded. I was hoping he would say more. I so desperately wanted to understand the connection between him, and his wife, and . . . Damon. But he didn't say anything else. I set my hand on his desk to steady myself, and looked down at the piece of paper I was touching.

"Fact or Fiction: The Myths of Mystic Falls." I read aloud.

"Oh that." Mr. Saltzman brushed the paper under a stack of others. I noticed he had a ring on that sort of reminded me of Damon's, but with a black stone in the center. "That's just an extra copy of a paper from a student."

"Interesting." I said, wondering why he was so quick to hide the paper. "And what are the myths of Mystic Falls?"

"Really?" He asked. "You haven't heard any of them?"

I shook my head. "Why would I have? I just got here, remember?"

"I just figured since you hang out with founding families and all." He replied.

I laughed. "I hate to break it to you Mr. Saltzman, but we don't exactly sit around talking about history when we aren't in class."

"Right." He nodded. "Well the mythology is . . . not exactly respected as academia by everyone."

"And yet, you accepted a paper on it." I pointed out.

"Yes, I did." He said. "Listen, if you want to do your own research on the history of the town, you absolutely can. In fact, I encourage it. I just don't want the PTA board to come after me for putting . . . ideas into your head during class."

I gestured towards the empty chairs. "We aren't exactly in class right now."

"You're right, we aren't." Mr. Saltzman agreed.

"So . . . you can tell me whatever mythology you want to and it doesn't count as a history lesson." I prodded.

He hesitated for a moment, but the opportunity to share history with an eager to learn student won over. "So as I'm sure you know, the town of Mystic Falls was founded in 1860. From the beginning, the town was plagued with mysterious deaths."

"Let me guess." I interrupted. "Animal attacks."

"That's . . . what's been the accepted explanation." He nodded. "But the founding families believed it was something else. They believed it was . . . an evil creature. They started searching amongst themselves for someone to blame. In 1864, they rounded up 27 people and burnt them alive in Fell's Church, recording them as civilian deaths in the Battle of Willow Creek. They believed that the creatures had been defeated."

"Oh my god." I gasped. "That's horrible. Those poor people. What did the founding families think they were?"

Mr. Saltzman grimaced, clearly trying to find the words to say next. The bell rang, and students began to shuffle into the classroom. I looked at Mr. Saltzman, waiting for an answer, but he shook his head.

"You should take your seat, Lucy." He said, and I knew it wasn't a suggestion.

I sat down and braced myself waiting for Elena to walk in, but she never did. Neither did Stefan, though that shouldn't have been a surprise. If she was skipping class to avoid me, my best guess is that Stefan was as well. Or maybe they were off somewhere throwing darts at a picture of me. Or a picture of Damon. Who knows?

I tuned out almost immediately as Mr. Saltzman began the day's lesson. Whatever he was talking about was definitely not as interesting as the story he had just told me about Mystic Falls. All of it reminded me of the Salem Witch Trials, just a bunch of innocent people being killed due to mass hysteria.

It seemed like something that would happen in such a small town. To me, the idea that humans are so quick to turn on one another was more terrifying than any mythical creature that could be dreamed up. However, I still wanted to know what the people of Mystic Falls thought they were burning in the church. I guess it was just morbid curiousity

Unfortunately, Mr. Saltzman didn't seem to want to finish telling me the town's history. The second the bell rang, he shoved his papers in his bag and walked out of the classroom. The way he was so hesitant to tell me made it seem as if he actually believed that the creatures the people of Mystic Falls thought they were burning were real. It was so out of character for an otherwise intelligent man.

The rest of the day dragged on. Rain was starting to fall, generating a continuous patter on the classroom windows. It was a sound that made me want to be curled up under a bunch of blankets watching scary movies, not sitting in school. By the end of the day, I still hadn't seen or heard from Elena. It wasn't like her to skip classes; she must really be upset with me.

"There you are!" Caroline caught me just as I was leaving school. "Have you seen Elena? Practice is cancelled. Apparently the roads are getting pretty bad because of the storm and they want everyone to go home."

"No, I haven't seen her." I said. "I think she may have gone home earlier."

"Oh." Caroline looked concerned. "Was she feeling okay?"

I sighed. "I don't know. We sort of got in a fight. She stormed off and then never showed up to class."

"A fight? What could Elena number one and Elena number two possibly have to fight about?" Caroline teased.

"Damon." I explained. "She's mad that I was hanging out with him, and won't tell me the real reason why."

"That is so Elena." Caroline groaned. "She's probably just worried you guys would date and then break up and then it would be all weird because she's still dating Stefan and they're like, the most perfect couple ever."

"Yeah." I forced a smile. "You're probably right. I should see if she went home and try to smooth things over."

"It'll be okay." Caroline reassured. "Drive safe, okay? If you get another injury I _will _kill you."

I laughed. "I will. Thanks Caroline."

"Bye Lucy!"

I pulled my denim jacket around me as I headed outside. It was icy cold; I hadn't prepared for the weather today at all. Once inside my car, I blasted the heat, and went to call Elena. The phone rang for ages, and then went to voicemail.

"Hey Elena it's me." I spoke with the awkward high-pitched voice I always used when talking on the phone. "Um, Caroline and I were worried about you since you disappeared from school today. So I'm gonna come over and check on you, because we should probably talk anyways. Bye."

I hung up, and went to pull out of the parking lot. Even with my windshield wipers on high speed, it was hard to see through the rain flowing off of my window. I couldn't remember the last time I had seen a thunderstorm this bad.

There were hardly any other cars on the road, which was a shock as it should've been nearing peak traffic hour. My car swerved on the slick pavement a few times, and I cursed myself for having two-wheel drive. My phone rang when I was about halfway to Elena's house. I almost ignored it, but then I saw that it was her.

"Elena hey what's up?" I put the phone on speaker and set it in my lap.

"Lucy thank god." Elena's voice was mixed with static. "Have you heard from Stefan?"

"What? No I haven't seen him all day. I assumed he went home with you." I said.

"No, Damon's here and-" Elena's voice cut out.

"Elena I can't hear you." I exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Damon's here and he hasn't seen Stefan since he left for school." Elena yelled, I could hear the panic in her voice. "I didn't see him before I left and he's not picking up his phone and I was just hoping you had seen him."

"No he never showed up. But I'm sure he's okay." I tried to calm her. "I'm on my way to your house right now. We'll figure out what to do, I promise."

"No – no Lucy. Don't come over." Elena shouted. "Listen to me, you need to get home, and lock your doors, and wait the storm out. Do you understand?"

"Elena I'm already on my way. If Stefan is missing I'll help you look for him." I insisted.

"Lucy _please _go home." Elena pleaded. "It's not safe out, and I have Damon here. I'll call you when we find him. Okay?"

I was squinting to make out the road, and it looked like something was in the way. Slowing as I got closer, I realized a tree had fallen. _Shit. _It was completely blocking the road; there was no way I was getting around it.

"Elena I'm going to call you back okay? There's a tree in the road." I shouted, hoping she could hear me over the rain. "Elena?"

I looked at my phone, and realized the call had dropped. There was no service. Great. This route was the only one I knew to get to Elena's. Of course there were other ways to get there, but I couldn't look up directions without signal. I sighed and did a U-Turn, realizing that I had no choice but to listen to her and go home and wait out the storm.

I tried to accelerate out of the turn, and couldn't. Pumping the gas a few times, I heard my back wheel spin and splash mud behind me. I was stuck. As if I didn't already feel useless enough knowing that Stefan was missing and that Elena was freaking out and I couldn't do anything to help. Now I was quite literally a stick in the mud.

I checked my phone to see if I had signal again. No luck. I debated waiting for a car to come by, but given the lack of cars on the road that afternoon I realized that wouldn't be beneficial. My call had only just dropped, which meant I had cell phone signal a few feet down the road.

I got out of the car, and regretted my jacket choice for the day. I didn't even have an umbrella stashed in my car. A few seconds outside and I was already soaking wet. Visibility was horrible in the rain, so I walked on the side of the road that way if a car _did_ come, they wouldn't hit me.

Looking back at my car, I realized that I was well past the point where my call had dropped, and I should have had signal by now. The storm had only gotten worse, so it must be interfering with the phone lines. I held my phone up, praying that the rain wouldn't damage it.

Paying attention to my cell phone, I completely forgot about my bad ankle. I went to step on it, and it completely gave out on me. I tried and failed to regain my balance, and fell down the hill that ran alongside the road.

It felt like I was moving in slow motion. The rain made the foliage on the hill so slick; I must've slid for twenty or thirty feet. I groaned when I finally came to a stop. My second fall in a twenty-four hour period. At least this time it didn't feel like I had acquired any injuries beyond a few bruises.

I took a second to catch my breath. With the storm clouds obscuring what little daylight was left, I could barely see around me. It was all just dark masses of damp leaves. It looked like there was a branch within arms length of me, so I reached for it to help myself up. It was soft to the touch, too soft even for rotting wood. I squinted, trying to make out the object in the dark.

I was holding an arm. A human arm.

I screamed. And screamed. And screamed.

* * *

_Just another town we're passing through  
It's of no concern to me and you  
Do you really want to know what I think  
Do you really want me to show what I know  
Buried deep inside  
You ought to know you need to know_


	9. Chapter 9 - All You Wanted

**A/N: ****Here's Chapter 9 after a cliffhanger last week! I'll either update next Tuesday, or if I get seven new reviews or follows. Whichever comes first! Xo, Eden.**

**POSSIBLE TW: DEATH/DRUGS.**

* * *

_Song: All You Wanted_

_Artist: Sounds Under Radio_

_I am the fold, in the wake  
Watch me push her back and break  
I lose all my friends, and wash away  
All the fractures Ive displayed_

_But we still, hold on_

_Cause it was  
All you wanted  
And all I needed  
But all I gave up, now  
Could you hold me tighter  
When worlds collide  
Just hold me down right now_

I was sat on a bench in the Sheriff's station, wrapped in a blanket. My parents were behind a closed door, talking to Sheriff Forbes. Someone had been nice enough to give me a change of clothes. I didn't catch their name. It was all a blur.

I don't know how long I was there for. I know I screamed until I lost my voice. I know I was frozen there long after my voice was gone. I know I prayed the rain would press me into the earth and wash the vision of the rotting corpse out of my mind.

I know that someone finally drove down the same road I was on and saw my abandoned car. I know that they called the police. I know they found me lying on the ground, next to Vicki Donovan's body. I know that's who's body it was- Matt's Sister's. I just kept repeating what I knew, over and over in my mind.

They found me and dragged me up the hill. They put me in the back of a cop car. They got my car unstuck from the mud. I thought they were arresting me for murder. I thought they thought that I killed Vicki Donovan. It wasn't until we were at the station and they didn't lock me up that I realized that I wasn't in trouble.

No one talked to me at first. They said they couldn't without my parents there. I just sat there and waited for my parents, and listened to the bits and pieces that I could.

"Eighteen year old Vicki Donovan."

"Missing for weeks."

"Likely an overdose."

"Buried in the woods."

When my parents got there, they finally talked to me. Sheriff Forbes asked me where I was going. She asked me why I left my car. She asked how I found the body. I told her I was trying to go to Elena's but the tree in the road wouldn't let me. I fell because I wasn't paying attention, and I grabbed the arm because I thought it was a tree branch.

I asked Sheriff Forbes why Vicki would be buried in the woods if she died of an overdose. Sheriff Forbes pressed her lips into a line and said she didn't know. She then asked if she could speak to my parents alone. And that's how I ended up sat alone on the bench in the Sheriff station.

I stared at the door, watching people run in and out. Elena and Damon walked in. Elena. Oh my god. Stefan. If she was here . . . they must have still not heard from Stefan. They were here to file a police report. I didn't know how to be supportive of Elena right now. I couldn't tell her that everything would be okay. Everything was not okay.

Elena must have felt me staring at her, as her eyes met mine. She ran over to me. Damon trailed behind. I wished that they would just go file the police report and not talk to me. I wondered if Stefan was also lying on a hill next to a dead body.

"Lucy oh my god." Elena gasped and hugged me. When she pulled back, I saw that she had tears in her eyes.

"You still haven't found Stefan?" I asked. My voice was hoarse, barely louder than a whisper.

"What? No Stefan was . . ." Elena exchanged glances with Damon. " . . . at a friends. His phone died."

I didn't know Stefan had friends other than Elena. It seemed like he was too busy following Elena around everywhere to make friends.

"You're not here to file a missing persons report?" I croaked.

Elena shook her head. "No Lucy. I'm here for you. Caroline called me. God you must've been so scared."

She sat down next to me and pulled me into another hug. She was warm, and dry, and smelled like raspberry shampoo. I was cold, and probably still smelled like dirt, despite my best efforts to clean up in the station bathroom.

Damon eyed me. "I thought we had a talk about wandering through the forest by yourself, Rambo."

"Damon." Elena warned. "I told you if you if you came here you had to behave."

I wondered why he had come at all. Less than twelve hours ago, Elena was yelling at me for letting Damon come into my house. Now they were going on Stefan tracking duty together, and he was trailing her to the police station. Maybe they had actually worked their issues out.

"Lucy . . . did they tell you who it was?" Elena asked.

"Matt's s-sister." My voice cracked as I choked out a sob. "I heard someone say they think it was an overdose. But that doesn't make sense. Elena I saw her, someone buried her there."

"Probably one of her junky friends trying to cover up their tracks." Damon retorted. "Literally, and metaphorically."

"_Damon_." Elena glared at him. "Maybe you should go talk to Sheriff Forbes. Like you said you came here to do."

"Sh-she's talking to my parents." I sniffed.

"Not anymore." Damon said.

I followed his eyes to where my parents were emerging from Sheriff Forbes's office. The three of them walked over to us. My parents looked back and forth from Damon, to Elena, to me.

"Damon. Elena." Sheriff Forbes addressed them. "Is everything okay?"

"Caroline called me." Elena said. "I stopped here on the way to Matt's, I wanted to make sure Lucy was okay."

"I decided to tag along as chaperone because I have some _things_ I wanted to discuss with you." Damon addressed the Sheriff.

The Sheriff nodded. "Right. We can go talk in my office. Lucy, you can go home. I gave your parents my number; if you remember anything at all that you think I should know, please don't hesitate to call. And Lucy, I'm so sorry."

I nodded at her, but didn't say a word. She and Damon retreated back into her office. An unlikely pair, I wondered what he could possibly have to talk to her about. Mom put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Adams." Elena turned to my parents. "We haven't actually met. I'm Elena Gilbert."

"Elena . . . Gilbert." My mom gave me a knowing look. I had never actually told her Elena's last name. "Well, it's lovely to finally meet you Elena. Though I do wish it could be under better circumstances."

"Elena, I really appreciate you stopping by to check on me. But you should go see Matt now. I'm sure he needs you more than I do." I said.

"Actually . . . I was thinking you should come with me." Elena looked at my mom and dad. "If that's okay with you."

"I'm not so sure that's such a good idea." I hesitated.

"It might be good for you. For both of you." Elena suggested. "You're the only person in his world who understands what he's going through right now."

I looked at my parents, mentally willing them to say no. My dad spoke up. "Someone from the department brought your car here. Maybe you should go see the family."

"I don't want to drive." I protested.

"I can drive." Elena offered.

My dad handed my keys to Elena. So that was it. I had to go face Matt knowing I was the reason his world just came crumbling down. If I hadn't gotten stuck, hadn't fallen, he would be living in bliss thinking that his sister was off on a bender somewhere and would come home when she felt like it. If she felt like it.

"What about Damon?" I gave one last weak excuse not to go with Elena.

"Damon's a big boy, he can find his own way home." Elena said.

My mom kissed my forehead. "Be safe honey. _Please._"

* * *

_All these lines, in the air  
I dont know if anyone would care  
Im losing my friends, in the wave  
Of all these fragments I cant fake_

_But we still, hold on_

_Cause it was  
All you wanted  
And all I needed  
But all I gave up, now  
Could you hold me tighter  
When worlds collide  
Just hold me down right now_

Matt answered the door and immediately broke into tears when he saw Elena. She took him into her arms, stroking his hair while he cried. He buried his face into the sleeve of her sweater. Caroline came down the steps, looked at them, and then off to the side, clearly uncomfortable.

It wasn't even remotely the time for drama between the three of them, but I felt for Caroline. That must hurt; to see the person you love in pain and know that you aren't the one that they turn to for comfort. Matt pulled back from Elena's embrace, and looked at me.

"Lucy." He said. I immediately knew that he knew I was the one that found Vicki.

"Matt." I whispered. "Matt. I'm so sorry."

I couldn't help but to break down when my eyes met his. Looking at him felt like looking at a reflection of my former self. I knew his pain. I had lived his pain. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Much to my surprise, Matt hugged me. I thought he would tell me to leave. I would have deserved it. I ruined his life. But instead, he held me, and we cried together.

Matt cleared his throat. "You guys should come into the kitchen."

Elena, Caroline and I followed Matt into the kitchen. Sat at the table was Elena's little brother, Jeremy, and . . . Tyler Lockwood. Just what I needed to add to the most wonderful day ever. We all sat down, and I did my best to avoid eye contact with Tyler.

"Is that her?" I gestured to a picture that was laid flat on the table.

"Yeah. It is." Matt nodded.

"Wow. She's beautiful." I whispered. "She looks just like you."

I had never had the opportunity to actually meet Vicki Donovan while she was living. But she truly was beautiful. She had reddish brown hair that fell in waves just past her shoulders. Her eyes were green, but the same shape as Matt's. And they had the exact same radiant smile.

"Thanks." Matt forced a smile. Caroline put her hand over his.

"How are you holding up, bud?" Tyler asked.

"Really Tyler?" Matt snapped. "What type of a question is that?"

"I'm sorry man I didn't mean . . ." Tyler trailed off.

"No man, I know." Matt mumbled. "It's just, she's my _sister_. Or she was. She's been my best friend since the day I was born. And now she's just . . . gone. And not gone like when she'd run away for a few weeks at a time. It just doesn't make sense. How could she die so young? She was doing so well."

"Matt, I'm really sorry." Tyler said.

"I know." Matt sighed. "It's just . . . no one can even begin to understand how that feels."

The silence over the table was thick. Matt was experiencing a pain that couldn't be fixed. No one knew what to say to him to even begin to relieve some of that pain. To make him feel less alone. Except . . .

"I do." I blurted out.

"What?" Matt looked at me.

"Lucy . . ." Elena started as if she was going to try and keep me from talking, but then decided against it.

"I know how it feels." I said. "My brother died."

"Oh my god." Caroline whispered.

"And it was exactly like you said." I nodded. "He was my best friend. I knew him practically my whole life. And I wish I could tell you that one day it won't hurt anymore, but that's not true. It gets better, a little bit. But not a day goes by where I don't wish that he was here."

I closed my hand over my locket. Tyler's eyes followed my hand, and I watched his expression change as he put two and two together.

"Wow. I'm a dick." Tyler stated.

"Yeah." Matt chuckled. "Yeah. You are dude."

And just like that, we all burst into a fit of laughter. Even Jeremy, who hadn't said a single word since I got there, had a momentary look of happiness on his face. Tears were still on all of our faces, but we were laughing. It felt wildly inappropriate, yet it was exactly what we all needed; a reminder that none of us were alone. As long as we had each other, there was happiness to be had. There was the possibility of healing.

* * *

_All these lines, in the air  
I don't know if anyone would care  
Im losing my friends, in the wave  
Of all these fragments I cant fake_

_But we still, hold on_

_Cause it was  
All you wanted  
And all I needed  
But all I gave up, now  
Could you hold me tighter  
When worlds collide  
Just hold me down right now_

We stayed at Matt's for so long, the six of us talking about everything and anything. I could tell Vicki was a great loss, not just for Matt, but for all of them. By the time Elena took me back to my house, it was so late that I offered for her to stay the night, which she happily accepted.

Elena was sound asleep next to me. Despite the troubles of the day, she had fallen asleep quickly. Maybe it was just due to exhaustion. I wished that I could fall asleep, but I knew that when I did I would be plagued with horrendous nightmares.

My mind just went back to Vicki's death, and the horror of finding her in the woods. Everyone's words kept replaying in my mind. How it didn't make sense that she died of an overdose. How she was doing well. I thought back again to my question- why was she buried in the woods if it was an overdose?

I thought back to Mr. Saltzman telling me about Mystic Falls being plagued with mysterious deaths from the beginning, how the townspeople thought it was something evil. My mind flashed back to the night I met Damon.

_"Yes, attacks. Animal attacks. This town is absolutely riddled with them. Come on, do your research. You move somewhere and you don't even do one Google search?"_ His voice echoed in my mind.

I thought about the way Stefan stiffened when I mentioned the animal attacks. How Stefan, Damon, and Elena were always exchanging glances as if they were communicating something that couldn't be said out loud. This town had a secret. I didn't know Vicki Donovan, but I was almost certain she didn't die of an overdose.

Careful not to wake Elena, I walked over to my desk, picked up my laptop, and brought it back to bed. I opened it up, and typed _"The History of Mystic Falls, Virginia"_ into the Google search bar. Clicking the first link that popped up, a Wikipedia article, I scanned the page for anything of interest.

It was a boring, textbook style article that reiterated everything I already knew about the town. Mystic Falls was founded in 1860, and nothing of interest really happened here until the end of the Civil War, when the Battle of Willow Creek took place. I clicked the link for the Battle of Willow Creek page.

As far as Civil Wars battles went, this one was rather un-noteworthy. Three hundred and forty six soldiers died during the battle. Confederate soldiers fired upon Fell's Church, believing it to be housing weapons, and killed twenty-seven civilians. Now we were getting somewhere. This must be the cover up Mr. Saltzman mentioned.

There was very little information on Fell's Church, which should have been expected as it was a small town structure that had been gone for over a century and a half. It was built shortly before the founding of Mystic Falls, and burnt down in 1864, allegedly due to a Pastor leaving a candle lit. I sighed. This was a dead end. Like Mr. Saltzman said, the things I was searching for weren't exactly academic material.

I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to think of what to search for. I typed in "_Mystic Falls Animal Attacks"_. Dozens of news articles popped up. I opened each of them in a new tab. It was horrific. One article was dated less than two months ago.

_"__18 year old Vicki Donovan was attacked by an animal late Friday night. Attending a back to school bonfire party, Donovan walked off into the woods. A fellow student found Donovan with a bite mark to the neck. While she lost a lot off blood, Donovan is currently stable and is expected to make a full recovery." _

It sounded oddly familiar. The police said she must have overdosed. Even if she _was_ high, why would she wander into the woods again if she had gotten attacked by an animal before and almost died? It didn't make any sense. I clicked through the next articles. They were different stories, different victims, but they all said the same thing.

_Found last night. _

_Animal attack._

_Severe blood loss._

_Bite to the neck. _

_Lost a lot of blood. _

_Two puncture wounds to the neck. _

_Completely drained of blood. _

What type of animal only attacks by biting the neck? It didn't make any sense. You would think an animal stalking it's prey would sneak up from behind. More importantly, what type of animal drinks it's victims' blood? It was almost like it was a . . . I shook my head, and opened a new tab, typing just one word into the search bar.

_"Vampires."_

Endless articles came up, ranging from well-respected history websites, to websites dedicated to studies of the occult. Each culture seemed to have it's own version of the Vampire, but the core idea of them remained.

**_"_****_Vampires _**_are evil mythological beings who roam the world at night searching for people whose blood they feed upon."_

_"__The term __Vampire__ was popularised in Western Europe after reports of an 18th-century __mass hysteria __of a pre-existing folk belief in the __Balkans__ and __Eastern Europe__ that in some cases resulted in corpses being staked and people being accused of vampirism." _I thought back to Mr. Saltzman telling me how the twenty seven people were burnt alive in the church, and how much the mass hysteria reminded me of the Salem Witch Trials.

_"_Vampires_ have super strength and often have a hypnotic, sensual effect on their victims." _Damon.

_"__Some traditions also hold that a vampire cannot enter a house unless invited by the owner; after the first invitation they can come and go as they please." _Elena's shocked voice, saying, _"He's been invited in."_ repeated over and over again in my mind.

I slammed my laptop shut. Elena stirred next to me, and for a moment I was worried I had woken her. She didn't open her eyes though, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I put my laptop on the floor, and shook my head. It was all nonsense. Vampires weren't real. They _couldn't_ be real.

I had seen Damon outside in the daytime. He didn't burn up in the sun. While he may be troubled and mysterious and womanizing, he could also be caring. I'd been alone with him on numerous occasions and he didn't hurt me. There was no way Damon was a killer. And if Damon was a vampire, that would mean Stefan was a Vampire too.

Damon was just an insanely attractive man with a bit of a dark side. There had to be a logical explanation behind the animal attacks in town. Vampires were myths. The word myth literally means untrue stories. Yet . . . Mr. Saltzman seemed to hold these myths with some level of regard.

It was almost two am, and I was sitting in bed questioning if vampires were real. I had to stifle a laugh at the ridiculousness of it. I clearly needed sleep before I completely lost my mind. I curled up next to Elena, willing myself to get just a few hours of rest before school tomorrow.

* * *

_Pull me in  
Drown my fear  
Could you wait another day,  
knowing that Ill come back  
I'll come back no fear_

_Cause it was  
All you wanted  
And all I needed  
But all I gave up, now  
Could you hold me tighter  
When worlds collide  
Just hold me down right now_

_Brandon was there. Brandon was always in my dreams. As haunting as the dreams were, it brought me some solace knowing that I could see his face again every night. _

_It was a scene I knew too well. We were driving out of Mystic Falls. The lines on the road were clouded, both from the fog and from the tears in my eyes. My knuckles were as white as my car from gripping the steering wheel. _

_"__Lucy, are you sure you're okay?" Brandon asked. "We can pull over. Get food somewhere. Mom and dad will understand if we're late." _

_"__I'm fine Brandon." I choked out. "I just want to get home." _

_"__Are you sure? Because you shouldn't be driving if you're so-"_

_"__I said I'm FINE Brandon." I snapped. I didn't mean for it to come out so harsh. _

_Brandon didn't say anything after that. I knew I should apologize. He was just trying to help. But I just wanted to get out of this stupid town. Mom and dad decide to raise me elsewhere and I should have never come back. We were coming up on the bridge that would take us away from Mystic Falls. _

_"Lucy look out!" Brandon yelled._

_I snapped out of it. In the road was a person. I slammed the breaks, but not soon enough. The car got so close the figure was illuminated in the headlights. She had brown wavy hair, and green eyes. Vicki Donovan. I recognized her from the pictures. She wasn't supposed to be here. I swerved. Her eyes turned red, and she opened her mouth to reveal fangs. _

I woke up in a sweat.

* * *

**A/N: Ooh so Lucy's finally starting to realize things aren't quite right in Mystic Falls, and she's digging into Vampires. Would love to hear your thoughts! How do you think she'll find out for sure? How do you think she'll react? Xo, Eden.**


	10. Chapter 10 - To Be Your Loss

**Great News ! Beauty of the Dark now has an official trailer on YouTube. The link is on my profile, or you can search for it. The video name is "Beauty of the Dark {The Vampire Diaries} | Official FanFiction Trailer" & my channel name is Eden Roses.**

**Here is Chapter 10, I'll update either next Tuesday or if I can get seven new reviews or seven new follows. **

* * *

_Song: To Be Your Loss_

_Artist: The Morning After Girls_

_Nothing here now today  
Just hurting that will remain  
Sleeping in the house of Eden  
With something to try again_

_No not a guest to be seen  
She is all that's left to be blamed_

_Staring back to see the view  
Of feeling that will remain  
Something's missing when you try  
To take up the empty hand_

After a few hours of restless sleep, my alarm woke up Elena and me. We groaned in unison, wanting nothing more than to just lay in bed for a few more hours. But we had to go to school. Elena got up to go get in the shower, taking a pair of my jeans and a hoodie to change into. I had already scrubbed myself raw after getting home last night, trying to remove the memory of the mud from my skin, so I went to get dressed.

My body was incredibly sore and bruised. The only upside was that my ankle, while still in pain, was better to the point where I could easily bear weight on it. I pulled on a pair of dark jeans and one of my favorite sweaters, and oversized navy V-neck. Today was not the day to dress up. Staring at my reflection in the mirror, my eyes went to my necklace. My mind went back to Elena's words the night that I promised her I would never take it off.

_"__There's all this mythological stuff surrounding vervain here in mystical falls. It's supposed to protect you from . . . all sorts of things that go bump in the night."_

Shaking my head, I tried to push the thought out of my mind. There was no way she actually believed that right? If she did . . . did that mean it was real? What if what I read last night was real? What if there really were vampires in Mystic Falls? It sounded so crazy, and yet, I found myself unfastening my necklace and sliding it into my pocket. If she noticed I took it off, I could confront her about it.

Elena came back into my room and let out a big yawn. I turned to her and gave her a sarcastic thumbs up, indicating that I was also not feeling this whole morning thing. She let out a laugh.

"You ready to go?" She asked.

"Coffee." I replied. "Then yes."

She nodded in agreement, and we went downstairs. Thankfully, my parents had already brewed a pot of coffee. They were sat at the kitchen island, my dad reading the morning paper, and my mom with her nose in a book. My dad put the paper face down when he realized we had come into the kitchen, but not before I could see the headline- _BODY FOUND IN WOODS_.

"Good morning girls." Mom said. "You're up early."

I groaned. "I know. But we needed time to stop at Elena's before school so she can get her book bag."

"Are you sure you want to go to school today cupcake?" Dad asked. "I think everyone would understand if you wanted a day off."

"A day off to do what? Sit at home and think about dead bodies?" My mom grimaced at my words. "Sorry. That was morbid. But I'm sure. I really just want to not think about it. At all."

"If you're sure." Mom agreed. "But just know you can come home at any time, no questions asked."

"I know." I smiled.

I walked over to the cabinets and pulled out my thermos, pouring myself a big cup of coffee. I held up the pot and looked at Elena, who nodded, so I pulled out another travel mug for her. That's when I realized that we took our coffee the same way- two creams, two sugars.

"We received an invited to some party at the Lockwood's tomorrow Lucy." Mom informed me.

"That's the Founder's Day kickoff." Elena said.

"It sounds like it'll be lots of fun." Mom smiled. "If you're up for it, that is."

I nodded. "Yeah, we'll see."

"So Elena," Mom inquired. "You did tell your parents you'd be staying here last night, correct? I wouldn't want them to worry."

Elena shifted. "I actually live with my Aunt Jenna, my parents aren't around anymore. But yes, I told her."

"Oh I'm so sorry." Mom shot me a look. I should have told her not to bring up Elena's parents.

"It's okay." Elena nodded. "It happens."

"What were their names, if you don't mind me asking?" Mom asked. "Peter and I actually grew up here, I'm wondering if we knew them."

"Mom." I warned. I knew what she was getting at.

"Lucy, it's okay, really." Elena said. For once, I actually believed her. "Their names were Grayson and Miranda. Sommers was my mom's maiden name."

Mom nodded, and looked at my Dad. "You know, I think they may have been in our year."

"Hm, yes. The names certainly do sound familiar." Dad agreed.

"Alright." I couldn't bear for this conversation to go on any longer. It must be painful for Elena to talk about her parents. "We should really get going, otherwise we're going to end up late."

We said goodbye to my parents, and then got into my car. I sped out of the driveway a little too fast, wanting to get away from them.

"Sorry about my parents." I apologized. "They can be a bit . . . nosy at times."

"It's better than the people who just act like my parents never existed." Elena said. "Really. They seem nice."

I laughed. "If you call an interrogation at the breakfast table nice."

"Speaking of interrogation . . ." Elena began. "I noticed you're not wearing your necklace today. What happened?"

I brought my hand to my chest, feigning ignorance. "Oh yeah, I couldn't find it this morning. Elena I'm so sorry."

"It's fine." Elena's voice let me know that it was not actually fine. "But you really should wear it."

"Why, to protect me from 'things that go bump in the night'?" I raised an eyebrow.

Elena forced a laugh. "That was just some silly thing my parents used to tell me as a little girl."

"Oh yeah?" I prodded. "When they said 'things that go bump in the night' . . . do you ever think about what they meant?"

"Not really, no." Elena shook her head. "Why?"

"I don't know, I've just been doing a lot of thinking lately, about things that happen here in Mystic Falls, and a lot of it just doesn't add up." I tread carefully. "Do you ever think that maybe some mythical creatures . . . aren't mythical?"

Elena eyed me. "Like what?"

"Like . . ." I took a deep breath. "Vampires?"

Elena coughed. "What? Lucy why would you say that? It sounds . . ."

"Crazy, I know." I finished the sentence for her. "But after last night, I did some reading, and the animal attacks here . . . they aren't right. All the victims have puncture wounds to the neck, severe blood loss, they were all attacked at night."

"Lots of animal attacks are nocturnal." Elena offered.

"Yes but . . . it's more than that." I continued. "The folklore, it all sounds so familiar. 'Super strength and often have a hypnotic, sensual effect.' 'Needs to be invited in.' I mean come on Elena. You're the one who went all 'oh my god, he's been invited in' when I told you Damon came over."

"Because he's _Damon_." Elena argued.

"Is Damon a vampire?" I asked, point blank.

"No." Elena replied. "Lucy . . ."

"Is Stefan a vampire?" I interrupted.

"No." She said.

"Is Mr. Saltzman a vampire?" I asked.

Elena burst out laughing. "You think Alaric, is a _vampire_? Why?"

I shrugged, and tried to ignore the fact that she just called our teacher by his first name. "They all wear those weird rings . . . I thought maybe it was some weird vampire cult thing."

"Listen, Lucy." Elena sighed. "What you went through yesterday was really traumatic. It's normal that you're trying to find some way to make sense of it. But vampires aren't real. You can't go repeating this stuff to other people, they're going to think . . ."

"Going to think I'm crazy. Got it." I said.

"Yeah, a little bit." Elena started laughing again. "Come on Lucy, the history teacher?"

I forced a smile. "Okay, that was a bit of a stretch. But you have to admit, Stefan and Damon are like, all weird and hot and mysterious."

"Did you just call my boyfriend hot?" Elena teased with mock jealousy in her voice. "Okay, if Stefan's a Vampire, and vervain is meant to protect from vampires, that means Stefan gave me a necklace to keep him away. And that clearly isn't working."

I nodded. "Okay, yeah, you're right."

"Of course I'm right." Elena agreed. "Lucy, are you sure you're okay to go to school today?"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to walk up to the Principle and ask him if he's a Werewolf." I said.

"Yeah please don't do that." Elena giggled.

She reached out and squeezed my arm. Despite her reassurances, I wasn't convinced that there wasn't _something_ off about Mystic Falls. Maybe I really was crazy. A month ago, I would've laughed at the idea of vampires being anything other than the focus of a teen romance novel. Now . . . now I wasn't sure what to believe.

We didn't talk for the rest of the drive. I wondered if my lingering doubt was etched onto my face. I pulled into Elena's driveway, and saw that Jenna's car was still there. Elena unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to me.

"You should come in, who knows if Jeremy's even up yet." She suggested. "Plus you can top off your coffee."

I nodded, and followed her into the house. Jenna was running frantically around the kitchen. Elena disappeared upstairs, calling out to Jeremy. Jenna finally saw me, and paused.

"Lucy, hi." She said. She sounded out of breath. "I heard what happened. I'm so sorry. Are you feeling okay."

I shrugged. "As good as I can be, I guess."

"Of course." She nodded. "Listen, if you ever need an adult to talk to . . . well I barely pass as an adult. But I'm here for you, I mean it. Our door is always open."

"Thank you Jenna." I smiled. "It means a lot."

"And as a barely an adult, it's my responsibility to make sure you kids are all ready for school. Have you eaten? Do you need anything?" Jenna asked.

I held up my coffee. "Could use a refill. But other than that, I'm all good."

Jenna smiled and gestured towards the coffee pot. I topped off my mug, and leaned against the counter, sipping my coffee. Elena came running back downstairs, and shot Jenna a look.

"He was still in bed." Elena said.

"What? I yelled through the door, he told me he was up." Jenna looked frazzled.

"Yeah well," Elena laughed, and went to pick her school bag up off one of the kitchen chairs. "He lied."

"Ugh." Jenna let out an exasperated sigh. "Looks like you got a lot of homework done last night."

"You and I both know I'm not the child you should be worrying about." Elena shook her head. "Besides, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get a pass for today, given everything that happened."

"Right." Jenna said, and shot me another sympathetic look.

I felt for Jenna. She didn't look like she could be even thirty, and she clearly wasn't expecting to take on two teenagers at this age. It must be hard for her. Elena walked out of the kitchen and motioned for me to follow. She looked up the stairs, and sighed when she saw that Jeremy's door was still closed.

"Come on Jeremy. Going to school." Elena yelled. "Walking out the door now."

Jenna ran after Elena and tucked a notebook in her bag. "You forgot this."

"Thank you." Elena smiled.

Elena opened the door, and stopped in her tracks. A man was standing in the doorway. He looked to be in his early thirties, with light brown hair, blue eyes, and a plastered on smile. Jenna let out a groan.

"Elena." The man said; his voice laden with cheer.

"Uncle John." Elena's enthusiasm clearly didn't match his. I froze when she spoke. "Hi."

"Jenna." He addressed Jenna.

"John. You made it." Jenna was clearly also not thrilled.

"Said I'd be in by noon." He shrugged.

Jenna sighed. "Oh, what you say and what you do are typically two very different things."

Elena turned to me. "Lucy, this is my Uncle, John Gilbert. Uncle John this is my friend Lucy A-"

"Oh my god." I interrupted. "Elena, I just remembered I have to do something before school. I need to go. Like now. Are you okay to drive Jeremy?"

Elena looked confused. I didn't give her time to answer. I slide around John Gilbert, who was partially blocking the doorframe, and out to my car. I couldn't get away from Elena's driveway fast enough.

He was here. How many months had I spent looking for him, just to be told he was gone without a trace? And now he just shows up, out of nowhere? Did he recognize me? No, of course he didn't. What if Elena told him my last name though? He'd have to know who I was then, right?

I was still shaking by the time I got to school. I debated taking my parents up on their offer to let me skip today. But I decided against it. Besides, there was one person at school I could try to talk to get answers.

I walked to Mr. Saltzman's classroom, hoping he'd be there. It was still early enough that the halls were mostly empty. I felt a small bit of relief wash over me when I walked in and saw him sitting at his desk. He looked jolted for a moment, and I really thought he was just going to get up and make an excuse to leave, but then he saw my face.

"Lucy, is everything okay?" He asked. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

I let out a dry laugh. "Yeah well, I kind of have."

"Right." He nodded. "I heard about Vicki Donovan. Do you need to go talk to the counselor or something?"

"Don't worry, I'm not here to pour my emotions out on you." I said. He looked visibly relieved. "I just want to hear the rest of the story about Mystic Falls."

He pressed his lips together. "I'm . . . not so sure that's the best idea."

"Why?" I stepped closer to his desk. "Okay fine. You don't have to tell me everything. Just tell me, what did the people think they were burning in the church?"

"Lucy I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have told you that story in the first place." Mr. Saltzman shook his head.

"_What did the people think they were burning in the church?_" I repeated, slamming my hand down on his desk. "Was it Vampires?"

"Why would you ask that?" He eluded the question.

I looked down at the desk. There was another paper sat out. This one read, _Fact or Fiction: The Truth About Vampires in Mystic Falls_. I picked up the paper, and turned it towards him.

"I don't know, why would I ask that?" I challenged.

Mr. Saltzman took the paper out of my hand. "Lucy, the myths about Mystic Falls are just that. Myths."

"Then why are you accepting papers about them?" I asked.

"Look, I shouldn't be telling you this." He sighed. "But these papers were by Jeremy Gilbert. When I got here, his grades were horrible. I'm sure you know he was struggling. I gave him the opportunity to do some extra credit work on a topic of his choice. He took a liking to Mythology, and I accepted it because quite frankly it was nice to see the kids actually try at something school related."

"So you don't believe in any of it?" I searched his face for answers.

"I believe that there's some truth in all fiction." He admitted. "In the middle ages, the plague killed entire towns at a time. Plague victims would often have sores that bled around the mouth. The people invented a monster, to explain the tragedy that struck them."

"But . . . but what about the animal attacks? They've been happening for almost a hundred and fifty years?" I asked.

"It's a small town surrounded by lots of woods." Mr. Saltzman shrugged. "Look, Lucy. I get it, trust me. Death is difficult for anyone to process, let alone a young mind. You're looking for a way to make sense of it all, for some explanation as to why this happened. But sometimes there isn't an explanation. Sometimes, bad things just happen. Trust me, you don't want to go looking for answers in the occult. You won't find happiness there."

I felt hot tears forming in my eyes. "Everyone keeps saying that! That I'm just looking for a way to process my trauma. I'm not crazy. I know what I'm saying."

"I don't think you're crazy." Mr. Saltzman stood up and leaned against his desk. "I think you're dealing with something that's well beyond what someone your age should have to deal with."

"What about Damon?" The tears started to fall. I promised him I wasn't here to dump my emotions on him, and here I was. "What's going on with you and Damon and Elena? Why do you all hate each other?"

"I'm . . . not sure that's my place." He hesitated.

"Please. Elena won't tell me." I pleaded. "You're right, I just want some answers."

He exhaled. "How much has Elena told you? And don't say everything, because I know that's not true."

"S-she told me that she was adopted, and that her birth mother was your wife, and that Damon dated her, and then she died." I stammered.

Mr. Saltzman looked pained. For a moment, I felt guilty for bringing up his wife. But my guilt was overpowered by my pressing need for answers. Why did he and Elena hate Damon? What happened to Isobel? Why was everyone hiding things from me?

"Some of that's true." He gave me a sad smile. "Isobel is Elena's birth mother. I don't know what happened to her- if she's dead or alive. Damon did date her, or go on a date with her. I don't really know what happened there either."

"So why do you both hate him?" I whispered.

"Damon was . . . possibly the last person to see Isobel alive." Mr. Saltzman admitted. "And he lied about it. To me, to Elena, and likely to the authorities as well. Part of me blames him for the fact that we never found her. I just keep thinking that if he had come forward . . . maybe the police could have found something."

"You blame him." I nodded. "Both of you."

"A little bit." Mr. Saltzman agreed. "And a little bit of me kind of just wants to kick his ass for dating my wife while she was still, well, my wife. But she left. I can't blame him for that."

"But . . . the rings. Why do you and Stefan and Damon all have the same rings?" I questioned.

"Honestly?" He said. "I don't know. Mine was a gift from Isobel. She grew up here. Maybe they all came from the same place."

"Are you . . ." I sniffed. "Are you Elena's dad?"

He laughed. "No. I can say with full certainty that I'm not. Isobel had Elena long before I met her. In fact, I didn't even know she had a daughter until about two weeks ago."

"Talk about a bombshell." I retorted.

"Yeah." He agreed. "Look, I trust that I don't have to ask you to keep this conversation between us? I'd rather my personal life not be the talk of Mystic Falls High."

"Of course." I nodded. "I'm sorry for prying. That was all . . . really personal. I've just been so confused . . . I didn't realize . . ."

"How could you have known?" He said.

I shrugged. "You're right. It's just; Elena gets so angry with Damon whenever he comes around, but won't tell me why. I guess now I know."

"Elena's just trying to protect you. It's who she is." Mr. Saltzman put an arm around me, and gave me the most awkward side hug ever. I still found myself relishing in the comfort.

"I guess I can't really be mad at her." I thought aloud. "I've sort of been keeping a giant secret from her, too."

"Oh yeah?" He raised an eyebrow. "Anything you want to talk about?"

"I don't know if I should." I shook my head. "She's going to be really mad at me."

"I think whatever it is, you two will be able to work through it." He comforted me.

"I hope so." I said.

"Listen, Lucy." Mr. Saltzman sighed. "You're a good kid, but you're going through a lot right now. If you happened to not show up to class today . . . well as long as you didn't get into any trouble, I don't see why I'd have to let anyone know. Do you understand?"

I laughed, and wiped my eyes. "What is it with all the adults in my life suddenly trying to get me to skip class?"

"Everyone needs a break sometimes Lucy." He said.

"I'll see. I need to talk to Elena. I'll go from there." I started to walk towards the door.

He gave me single nod. "Well, if I don't see you in class today, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mr. Saltzman." I said. "I mean it."

"My door is always open."

Somehow, I knew he truly meant it.

* * *

_No, not a guest to be seen  
Well, you're all that's left to be blamed  
I'm counting on our guesses to be your loss  
I'm counting on our blessings too, I'm so lost_

_Cause I'm losing the faith, I realize (in your lies?)_

_I'm counting on our blessings  
I'm counting on my blessings, too  
Cause I'm losing the faith in your lies  
When it's all we had to be sane  
And so it had to be your loss_


	11. Chapter 11 - Yeah

**A/N: Got a couple new follows this morning which means we hit seven new follow since the last chapter, so here's chapter 11 as promised! I'll either update Thursday or if I can get another seven new follows or reviews. Thanks for the support xx**

* * *

_Song: Yeah_

_Artist: The Golden Dogs_

_I've hit the hard times, I'm off the course__  
The winds of change... are blowing with brute force  
The load is getting heavy, back is gonna break  
Starting to believe it's more than I could take  
All of my decisions end up a mistake  
No long term plans in my hands  
Throwing my whole life on tape  
With everything I wanna say  
Listen up, My epitaph is screaming out_

I walked out of Mr. Saltzman's classroom in search of Elena. I had no clue how I was going to tell her, or how she would take it. _Hey what's up Elena, remember how we're both adopted? Well my birth father is your apparent douche nozzle of an Uncle. Yeah I've known for over six months. Just decided to bring it up since he showed up at your doorstep today. _

Yes, I'm sure that will go over well. Truth be told, I wasn't even sure how I'd react if the roles were reversed. In the grand scheme of things, I hadn't known her that long. It hadn't even been a full month. Sure, we've told each other some major secrets in that time, but we've also kept some major secrets. Both of us.

I found Elena by her locker, talking to Matt. He was just walking off as I came up. I was surprised he even came to school today. Maybe he just wanted something to keep his mind off of things, like I did. I tapped Elena's shoulder, and she jumped when she turned around and saw me.

"Lucy oh my god!" She exclaimed. "Is everything okay? You ran off so quickly this morning."

"Actually . . ." I took a deep breath. "I kind of need to talk to you about something."

"Yeah sure, what's going on?" She asked.

I looked at all the students around us. "Not here. Let's go find somewhere more quiet."

She nodded, and we ducked into an empty classroom. We had about ten minutes until classes started, which should be enough time. I leaned against the teacher's desk, and sighed.

"What is it?" Elena looked concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Well . . . you know how I told you I tried to find my birth father?" I asked.

Elena nodded. "Yeah, you said you couldn't find him. Why, did you hear from him?"

"No. I mean . . . sort of. But no. There was more to it." I admitted.

I closed my eyes for a moment. I just kept seeing his face. There's no way to explain the feeling of seeing your birth father in person for the first time. Sure, I had the almost eighteen-year-old photo my parents had given me, but I hadn't even made the connection between the pictures and the present day John Gilbert until Elena had said his name.

Elena put her hand over mine. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"Did I ever tell you my parents were both from here?" I could already feel tears welling up in my eyes, and my breath was shaky.

"I think you may have mentioned it. Why? Lucy you're starting to scare me." Elena's voice trembled with worry.

"Well they were. They lived here until they adopted me, and then they left. Something about not wanting to have to cross paths with the birth family all the time, or something." I told her.

"Okay . . ." Elena nodded, clearly confused.

"The last address they could find for my birth father was still in Mystic Falls. His name is John Gilbert." I started crying.

"What? Oh my god." Elena gasped.

I searched her face for any sort of reaction. It was like her face had completely frozen. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth agape.

She finally broke the silence. "You're my . . . you're my cousin?"

I nodded. "I guess so."

"Oh my god." Elena stood up and began to pace back and forth in front of me. "Lucy, how could you not tell me this?"

"I didn't know how." I sniffed. "I met you that first day, and you clearly hated John and I didn't want you to hate me too."

"And you didn't think that it was something that maybe you should tell me at some point?" Elena raised her voice.

"I wanted to, but I just . . . I don't know." I wiped my face with my sleeve. "Elena, I'm sorry- I . . ."

"No don't." Elena cut me off. "You knew I just lost my parents, that my birth mother doesn't even want to talk to me, you didn't think that maybe I'd want to know that I have family that actually _wants_ to be in my life?"

"Really Elena? It's not exactly an easy thing to bring up." I said. "Besides, you're not exactly the queen of being honest with me."

"Oh yeah? What's that supposed to mean?" Elena crossed her arms.

"You refuse to tell me anything! About Damon, and Isobel, and Mr. Saltzman. Why didn't you just tell me that Damon was the last person to see Isobel before she went missing?" I asked.

Elena froze. "Who told you that?"

"Mr. Saltzman." I replied.

"Why were you talking to Mr. Saltzman about Damon?" Elena glared at me.

"Because you won't!" I yelled. "Because I wanted answers. About him. About the animal attacks. About those weird freaking rings they all wear. I just want to know what's going on!"

Elena held her hands to her head. "Lucy, _tell me_ you did _not_ ask Mr. Saltzman if vampires are real."

"I did." I nodded.

Elena shook her head. "Lucy, you promised me you would drop it. You can't just run around asking people things like that."

"Why, because they'll think I'm crazy? Because he didn't seem to think so. And I'm not the only one who's curious about them." I said.

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked.

"Your little brother has been writing papers all about the mythology of Mystic Falls. Including vampires." I explained.

"Oh my god." Elena whispered.

"What Elena?" I shouted. "Why is it a big deal? If they aren't real, why does it matter?"

We were both staring each other down. I refused to blink first. If she wanted me to be honest with her, she had to do the same for me. It was very apparent she wasn't doing that right now. Whether it be vampires, or some other more logical explanation, she wasn't giving it to me.

"There you guys are!" A perky voice came from the doorway.

I turned my head to see Caroline practically skipping into the room. I attempted not to look incredibly annoyed at her presence. Now was not the time. Caroline looked back and forth between the two of us, and realized she had just walked into some drama.

"Woah, what's going on with you guys?" She asked.

"Lucy's my cousin." Elena said with a fake smile, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Woah, what? I mean I joke that you guys are basically twins, but that's awesome!" Caroline exclaimed. "Wait, so what's the problem?"

"Really Caroline?" Elena retorted. "You don't think it's a bit shady that she's known she's my cousin this _entire_ time and she's just now telling me?"

I braced myself. In my short time here, I had managed to piss off Caroline on multiple occasions. Now she had the perfect opportunity to rail into me with full support from Elena. This wasn't going to be pretty.

"I mean . . ." Caroline paused. "Lucy's been here what, like a month? That would've been a huge thing to drop on you the first day she got here . . . it must be hard to bring up."

"What?" Elena was seething. "Are you seriously taking her side?"

"No no no. There aren't sides Elena. This is a good thing." Caroline explained. "You guys are _cousins_. You have a new family member now. I mean doesn't that explain why you guys became best friends practically the second she got here?"

Elena sighed and looked at me. "I guess it does."

"Exactly." Caroline said. "You guys are made to be friends."

Elena's expression softened a bit. Afraid that if I said anything it would piss her off again, I remained silent. I was shocked that Caroline was being such a mediator in this. I had expected her to literally link arms with Elena and tell me to turn in my cheerleading uniform and get out of town.

"I know exactly what can fix you two being mad at each other." Caroline said with a smile.

"What?" Elena asked.

"Shopping!" Caroline clapped her hands.

Elena and I both raised our eyebrows and looked at each other. I had to laugh at Caroline using our conflict to further her personal agenda of constantly wanting a new outfit. Thankfully, Elena saw the humor in the situation as well, and also let out a laugh.

"Come on you guys." Caroline pleaded. "The Founders Day kickoff is tomorrow and I don't have anything to wear. We can blow off school and make a day of it."

"My parents _did_ say I could skip today." I looked at Elena for approval.

Elena rolled her eyes. "You'd better not make me try on anything pink."

Caroline squealed and clapped her hands again. I was relieved that she had talked Elena down. I was still upset that Elena was clearly hiding something from me, but I knew I had to let it go for the time being. Bringing up my vampire theory again was just going to give her an excuse to be mad at me. I'd just have to do research in my own time.

* * *

_You gotta watch out, it'll tear you down _

_Find your weakest link and pull it, pull it out _

_Get inside your head and find your hidden lies _

_Twist you til your dripping, hang you out to dry _

_A pen without the ink, a storm without the eye there's no way out, no way out _

_Throwing my whole life on tape _

_With everything I wanna say _

_Listen up, my epitaph is screaming out_

I was thumbing through a rack of dresses, trying to find something that was my style. Caroline already had an arm full of dresses, all of them equally lavish, embellished in some way. Elena had picked out a few dresses, and was standing off to the side making a phone call.

"So what's the deal with this town anyways?" I asked. "I mean, there's some sort of event like, every weekend."

"That's Carol Lockwood for you." Elena rolled her eyes.

"It's just because it's the months leading up to Founder's Day." Caroline explained. "But come on, isn't it fun? Who doesn't want an excuse for new clothes?"

"Yeah you're right." I laughed. "My closet here is pretty empty."

"Well then pick out some dresses silly!" Caroline said.

I shook my head and laughed. That girl would have me try on the whole store if she could. Elena had put her phone away and was walking back over to us. She looked worried, but I didn't want to question it in case she was just still made at me. Thankfully, Caroline wasn't built with the same filter.

"Is everything okay?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah I just can't get in touch with Stefan." Elena sighed.

"Again?" I raised my eyebrow. He seemed to disappear a lot.

"It's fine he probably just didn't get my message that we'd be here before he got to school. His phone's probably off." Elena tried to brush it off.

"_Elena_." Caroline whined. "You know he's going to show up here the second he checks his phone. This is supposed to be girl bonding!"

"I know, Caroline." Elena sighed again. "He's just going through some . . . stuff right now. I don't want him to be alone at school all day."

I thought about suggesting that she call Damon, but I knew that bringing up Damon right now would be like stepping on a landmine. This wasn't like Stefan though. Normally he was such a great boyfriend, and now he disappeared two days in a row? Did he know how much that worried Elena?

"Oh my god, Lucy." Caroline interrupted my thoughts with a squeal. "You have to try that one on."

In my absentmindedness, I hadn't even paid any attention to the dresses I was sorting through. I paused to look at the dress she was referring to; she was right, it really was pretty. It was an emerald green satin material, with an A-line skirt and spaghetti straps. It was my favorite color, and a classic cut without any sort of crazy embellishments, very my style.

I picked up the dress to try on, and Caroline shoved a few more into my hands without giving me the chance to protest. She dragged us both to the dressing rooms. There were only two, and Caroline and Elena had more to try on so I hung up my dresses on one of the hooks let them go first.

Knowing Caroline would come show me every single dress whether I liked it or not, I waited outside the changing room area. A few minutes later she came out, practically dragging Elena by the arm.

"What do you think?" Caroline asked, referring to the light blue dress she had on.

"It's . . . pretty." I replied.

"Ugh, just be honest and say you hate it." Caroline pouted.

"I don't _hate _it." I protested. "I just think it's . . . a lot."

It was a lot. The entire bodice was embellished with rhinestones, and the skirt was puffy tulle. It would gather a lot of attention, and it was definitely very Caroline, but it seemed more like something for a homecoming dance than a party that would be full of the town's most respected adults.

"Fine. That just means you get to watch me try on the others." Caroline smiled. "What about Elena's?"

Elena's dress had a similar tulle skirt to Caroline's but her dress was all black. It had a lace top, with lace long sleeves. Elena gave me a pleading glance, and I tried to hide my smirk.

"It doesn't look very Elena." I admitted.

"It's _not_ very me." Elena shot a playful glare at Caroline, who nudged her back.

"Okay, okay." Caroline laughed. "We'll be right back."

I leaned against the wall, tapping my foot and looking around the store. Being midday, there weren't many customers in the store, but I still put my best efforts towards people watching. There was a frazzled looking mother, pushing a stroller with two sleeping children, a businessman on a call, and a guy that looked a lot like . . . Stefan?

"Stefan!" I called out, walking over to him. "Stefan what are you doing here? Elena's been calling you, she's worried about you."

"I texted her back and told her I would meet you guys here." Stefan noted the confused expression on my face. "And I take it my message didn't go through. Huh."

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah I'm fine, why?" He replied quickly.

I scanned his face. "You just look . . . a little pale."

That was an understatement. He wasn't exactly a tanned person to begin with, but his face was sheet white currently. His forehead was a bit clammy too, and if my mind wasn't playing tricks on me he was shaking a bit.

"I had a bit of a headache when I woke up, maybe I'm getting a cold." Stefan shrugged. "Listen, can I talk to you about something?"

"Yeah sure, what's up?" I was pretty sure that this conversation alone was practically more words than I had ever exchanged with Stefan in the time that I had known him, I was confused as to what he could possibly want to talk to me about.

Stefan looked over at the businessman a few feet from us. "Not here."

I looked over at the entrance to the dressing room area, figuring that Caroline and Elena would be out by now, but there was no one there. I followed Stefan over to a corned of the store, figuring it wouldn't be long. Stefan crossed his arms and sighed.

I looked at the ring on his finger, and remember my theory on the rings he, Damon, and Mr. Saltzman wore. I scanned the store, looking for witnesses. I knew I was being ridiculous but . . . something was off about him and his brother.

"Are you okay? You look nervous." Stefan asked.

Apparently it showed on my face. "Yeah I'm fine. I just . . ."

"Think I'm a vampire?" Stefan chuckled.

"I . . . what?" I was shocked. Elena had told him? She seemed to want to keep that theory very under wraps.

He laughed again. "Yeah, Elena told me. Don't worry; I don't think you're crazy. But that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Why so?" I eyed him, trying not to let on how terrified I was in that moment.

"Listen, Elena would never tell you this because she doesn't want to disrespect her parent's memory but . . ." He trailed off. "Her parents were very _into_ the whole supernatural history of the town. They were so certain that vampires were real that they tried to convince the entire Founders Council. Understandably, it was a little embarrassing for them. Elena's worried that the same thing is going to happen to you and Jeremy."

"Wow." I mumbled. "I had no idea."

"She doesn't really talk about them much." Stefan said.

"But why are there so many stories about he supernatural in this town?" I asked. "Clearly I'm not the only one who's been wrapped up in it, there has to be some substance there."

"You have to understand, the whole vampire thing happened during a very different era." Stefan explained. "I mean, it was a time where people were burned alive for allegedly being witches. People just didn't have the same knowledge we do today, they created these stories to make up for bad things they couldn't explain."

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I don't know it just seems so . . . fitting."

Stefan chuckled. "Well they did name the town Mystic Falls. It's a bit of a let down that it's not actually haunted."

As much as I didn't want to believe him, what he was saying actually made sense. I felt guilty for pressing something that would bring up such a bad memory of Elena's parents. She not only had to deal with me, but Jeremy too. That must be hard for her.

"Listen, I hope you can understand that I'd rather you not tell her I told you." Stefan looked me in the eye. "For her sake, stop your research on vampires, and don't bring it up to Elena again."

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked. His pupils had grown and shrunk really quickly. "Your eyes look weird."

Stefan wiped his eye, and looked back at me, confused. "Uh, yeah. Must just have a piece of dust or something . . ."

"If this conversation is just between us," I started. "Why do you guys hate Damon so much?"

Stefan sighed. "Damon has a long history of not doing the right thing. He wasn't always like that. But he has been . . ."

"Ever since Katherine." I filled in the gaps.

"Ever since Katherine." Stefan confirmed.

"Are you sure that's the only reason Elena doesn't want me talking to Damon?" I asked.

"Why would you say that?" Stefan replied.

I shrugged. "I don't know, she just seems sort of . . . possessive of him, or something. Like she doesn't want anyone going near him."

Stefan nodded. "Just trust that there are things that happened before you got here that are a lot for either of us to talk about. You should stay away from Damon."

I looked at Stefan. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Stefan sighed, and looked away from me. He just seemed off, really pale and his eyes kept like, twitching or something. I wondered if he should even be here right now.

"Lucy?" Elena's voice called out. She and Caroline appeared from around the corner. "There you are. Stefan? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"I told you'd I'd join you in playing hooky, but apparently it didn't go through." Stefan said.

"I told you." Caroline looked annoyed with Elena for a moment, but then went back to smiling. "Lucy, we think we found our dresses. What do you think?"

I looked at the two of them. Elena had on a black dress with a shiny jacquard fabric. It had simple tank top sleeves, and a slight v cut in the chest. Caroline's dress was a peachy pink fabric, with a semi sweetheart neckline, and had beautiful flowers embellished into the lace.

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, you definitely found your dresses."

Caroline clapped. "Yay! Now you get to try yours on."

I moaned with fake disdain as Caroline dragged me back to the dressing rooms. Stefan whispered something to Elena, and she hugged him and mouthed something back. I wondered if she also noticed that something was off with him, she had to, right?

I tried the green dress on first, because it was my favorite. It was a perfect fit. I absolutely loved the way the thin straps sat on my shoulders, and the way the deep neckline showed just enough skin to be seductive but still classy. The fabric was incredibly soft, and the emerald green color would go perfectly with my necklace.

Remembering that I had tucked my necklace in my pocket earlier, I got it out and put it on. It looked absolutely perfect with the dress. I stepped out to show Caroline and Elena. The noise Caroline made definitely almost blew out an eardrum.

"Oh my god I love it!" Caroline squealed. "Elena?"

"Your necklace." Elena said. "You found it."

I forced a laugh. "Oh yeah, apparently it was in my pocket the whole time. I forgot I put it there when I took it off last night."

Elena and Stefan exchanged glances, I couldn't read their faces. Elena nodded and forced a smile. "The dress looks really pretty."

"It looks _so_ pretty." Caroline agreed. "What shoes are you going to wear?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Nothing too crazy. I don't want to fall again."

"I have some cute black heels you can borrow, they aren't too high. You're an eight, right?" Elena offered.

"Yeah, I am." I smiled. "Thanks Elena."

"If you want to try the other ones on just for fun . . ." Caroline suggested hopefully.

Elena and I both looked at Caroline, and I shook my head. She sighed, and I returned to the dressing room to change. We headed to the cashier, and out of the store, ready for whatever was next in our day of no school.

* * *

_This is the last chance to put it down _

_To get it all just right to get that... to get that sound _

_High, high above the doubt _

_Loud, louder than the worry_

_ Deep, into all the places no ones ever been_

**A/N: Here are pinterest links for the girls' dresses, since I know some people like outfit visuals and they'll be wearing them again in the next chapter. (Just type pinterest dot com and then copy and paste at the end) XO, Eden.**

**Caroline's dress: /fh4kglsc6j3lgt**

**Elena's Dress: (it's the one from the episode) /fh4kglsc6j3lgt**

**Lucy's Dress: /frymu4vauz42b4**


	12. Chapter 12 - Brick by Boring Brick

**A/N: Here's Chapter 12! I believe this is the longest one so far. I'll update next Thursday or if I can get 7 new reviews or 7 new follows :) **

**Btw, still looking for a Beta/someone who I can bounce ideas off of, if you're interested let me know and I'll shoot you a message. Xo, Eden.**

* * *

_Song: Brick by Boring Brick_

_Artist: Paramore_

_She lives in a fairy tale  
Somewhere too far for us to find  
Forgotten the taste and smell  
Of a world that she's left behind  
It's all about the exposure the lens I told her  
The angles were all wrong now  
She's ripping wings off of butterflies  
Keep your feet on the ground  
When your head's in the clouds_

_Well go get your shovel  
And we'll dig a deep hole  
To bury the castle, bury the castle  
Go get your shovel  
And we'll dig a deep hole  
To bury the castle, bury the castle_

My mom came into my room while I was laying my dress down on my bed. Elena and Caroline were coming over, and we were going to get ready for the Founders Day Kickoff party. In Lynchburg, I never had an excuse to dress up and go to parties. It felt very Gossip Girl.

"Are you sure you're up for going tonight?" Mom asked.

"I'm sure." I nodded. "Besides, Elena and Caroline are going to be here any minute to get ready."

"It will be nice to meet Caroline." Mom said. "And to see Elena again, of course."

"I know what you're thinking," Her tone of voice cued me in. "I already told Elena."

Mom looked shocked. "You did? How'd she take it?"

"Not so great at first but she was in shock. We're fine now, I think." I hoped. "I kind of had to tell her thought. John's back in town."

"John?" Mom asked. "As in, your_ father_ John?"

"He's not my father." I retorted. "He may have brought me into the world, but you and dad are my parents."

"Oh honey," Mom sat on my bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess." I shrugged. "I don't know how long he's going to be here though. I don't know if he realizes who I am, or if I should talk to him, or what I should do."

Mom put an arm around me. "Honey, you do whatever you feel is right. But you did spend so much time looking for him, it might be nice for you to talk to him at least once, just for closure."

"We'll see." I sighed.

Thankfully, the doorbell rang, and mom offered to go get it for me. I didn't want to sit through this conversation any longer. Truthfully, I had no clue what to do about John being back. Months ago I had wanted nothing more than to talk to him, but the second I actually had the chance to I had run out of the room before he could even realize it was me.

Elena came into my room, carrying her dress and a bag. She plopped down next to me, and gave me a smile. Things were still awkward between us. But at least she was here.

"What's up?" She asked.

"Not much." I said. "Just thinking."

"Listen," Elena sighed. "I wanted to say I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday when you told me about . . . well when you told me."

"No you were right I really should have told you before." I was shocked that she was apologizing to me.

"The thing is, I understand why you took so long to tell me. As of yesterday, I still hadn't told Jeremy I was adopted." Elena admitted. "I think that's why I got so mad. I realized I was also holding back a huge secret from someone I love, and I was worried he wouldn't take it well and I just got really upset."

"As of yesterday?" I asked. "So you did tell him?"

"Yeah." Elena nodded. "And he didn't really care. I mean, obviously he _cared_, but he said it doesn't effect anything."

"That's great." I smiled. "So you're feeling better?"

"Definitely." Elena smiled back. "Friends?"

"Friends." I confirmed.

It felt like we had finally reached an understanding. Having her in my life truly meant the world to me. After experiencing such a great loss, it was nice to have a familial bond with someone who understood me. Her face fell again, and I was worried she didn't feel the same.

"So um," Elena hesitated. "Uncle John might be there tonight."

"Really?" I didn't know how to react.

"Yeah." Elena said. "Is that okay?"

I shrugged. "I mean . . . does it matter? I can't exactly tell him not to come."

"Trust me, if anyone could tell him not to come, I would have told him not to come." Elena let out a laugh.

I giggled. "Is he really _that_ bad?"

Elena shrugged. "He just hasn't really been around to support the family. You could always talk to him and see for yourself."

"Yeah, I could." I sighed.

"You don't have to if you don't want to though." Elena followed up, noting my hesitation.

"I might not have a choice. My parents are going tonight, if he recognizes them . . ." I trailed off.

"Trust me, if there's one thing I know about Uncle John, it's that he loves to avoid confrontation. I can guarantee if he recognizes your parents he'll just turn and run the other way." Elena reassured me.

"Ok good." I forced a smile. "Because I am not sure I'm ready for all that."

"Knock knock." Caroline's singsong voice came from the doorway. "Who's ready to glam?"

I had been so absorbed in my conversation with Elena that I hadn't even heard the doorbell ring. Caroline held up a bag full of beauty supplies. Between what she and Elena brought, and what I already owned, we could practically open a beauty parlor in my bedroom.

It felt so good just to hang out with my two best friends, doing each other's hair and makeup to get ready for a night out. I wasn't some loser; I'd had friends in Lynchburg, but none that were good enough to stick around after Brandon. Somehow I knew that Caroline and Elena were better friends than that.

We were taking so long to get ready that my parents left and told us to just meet them there. Caroline had insisted that I wear my hair straight, and I told her that I would if she straightened it herself. I think about halfway through the task she had started to regret volunteering for the task, but when she was finished my hair fell silky smooth just past my waist.

I pulled on my dress and walked over to stand by Caroline and Elena and look in the mirror. Caroline had styled her hair into perfect coils, while Elena kept hers in its natural perfectly straight state. Courtesy of Caroline, our eyelids all had a subtle touch of shimmer to them. I smiled at our reflection; we looked _hot_.

"Wow, you two so look alike with your hair straight." Caroline said.

"Um, Caroline. I told you I'm adopted, right?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, and?" Caroline replied.

Elena giggled. "So Lucy and I aren't actually related by blood."

Caroline looked confused. "Are you sure?"

Elena nodded. "Yes I'm sure."

"Well you two could have fooled me." Caroline said. "I mean look at yourselves."

Caroline was right. The resemblance between Elena and I was definitely there. My face was rounder, and she was overall just slightly more slender than me, but we stood the exact same height, and had the same hair and eye color. We could definitely pass as biological cousins, even though we weren't actually blood related.

"Weird." I shrugged.

"Okay come on you guys, let's go!" Caroline jumped up and down. "There's fashionably late, and then there's just late, and we do _not_ want to be the latter."

I grabbed a black wrap to protect myself from the late night chill, and we piled into Elena's car to head to the Founder's Hall. I was ready for a fun night with the girls.

* * *

_So one day he found her crying  
Coiled up on the dirty ground  
Her prince finally came to save her  
And the rest she can figure out  
But it was a trick  
And the clock struck twelve  
Well make sure to build your home brick by boring brick  
Or the wolf's gonna blow it down  
Keep your feet on the ground  
When your head's in the clouds_

_Well go get your shovel  
And we'll dig a deep hole  
To bury the castle, bury the castle  
Go get your shovel  
And we'll dig a deep hole  
We'll bury the castle, bury the castle_

We entered the Founder's Hall to discover the party already in full swing. It seemed like the entire town of Mystic Falls was here, drinking and chatting. A few couples were even dancing to the jazz music being played.

Caroline almost instantly took off in search of Matt. Surprisingly, they seemed to be doing well despite Matt struggling through the loss of his sister. Not really knowing many other people here, I trailed Elena in her search for Stefan. We found him standing alone near the bar, where he was waving for our attention.

Elena instantly perked up at the sight of Stefan. "Hey."

"Hey, how are you?" Stefan greeted Elena with a kiss to her temple. He seemed in a much brighter mood than when I had seen him yesterday.

"Are you drunk?" Elena scrunched up her nose.

Stefan averted his eyes. "Okay, I know it's a little weird. But it's really helping me, the alcohol it uh . . . takes the edge off."

"You're totally that drunk high school guy at the party sneaking booze." Elena teased.

Stefan nodded. "I totally am. Yeah."

Weird. Stefan normally seemed very put together. It wasn't like him to just get wasted in public like that. I remembered that yesterday Elena had mentioned he was "going through stuff", but it still just seemed out of character for him.

"How worried do I need to be?" Elena asked.

"Oh no, you don't need to be worried." Stefan slurred a bit. "It's just until uh . . . never mind. Listen, I think we should enjoy it while it lasts. Would you like to dance with me?"

"You hate dancing." Elena replied. "I usually have to beg you."

"No no no, you have to beg the sober me. The drunk me, there's no begging necessary." Stefan looked serious, but I had to stifle a laugh at his behavior.

Elena looked off to the side at me. I just shrugged. While I shared her concern for Stefan, it also wasn't the worst thing in the world for a seventeen year old to get drunk at a party. Maybe she should just enjoy this new fun and sociable version of Stefan for the evening, and go dance with him.

"There's really no one dancing." Elena hesitated. A half-truth, there were some people still on the dance floor.

"That's because they need something better to dance to." Stefan said. "Be right back."

"Yeah that's not gonna work." A familiar voice sounded from behind us. "I already tried to bribe the guy with twenty bucks and a date. He said Carol Lockwood has complete control over the music choices."

Kelly Donovan. Great. I kicked myself for my immediate disgust at the sight of her. The poor woman had literally just lost her daughter. But when I looked at her, all I could see was the drunkard woman who was rude to Caroline and tried to embarrass Matt.

"You'd be surprised what Stefan can accomplish when he puts his mind to it." Elena replied. She was eyeing Stefan as she spoke, and I couldn't tell if the disgust in her voice was with him or with Kelly.

As if on cue, a more upbeat song started playing. The entire atmosphere of the room immediately changed. Much to my relief, Kelly Donovan raised her glass and made her way to the quickly crowding dance floor.

"Have I entered an alternate universe where Stefan is fun?" Damon asked.

Jesus. I barely ever saw Damon come or go; he always just appeared out of nowhere. He looked damn good too. He had on a black button down that was unbuttoned just enough to show a bit of his chest, topped with a black blazer. No tie or anything, and yet he looked so suave.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Elena asked, eyeing Stefan as he twirled Kelly Donovan on the dance floor.

Damon shrugged. "Eventually. One way or another."

Elena glared at Damon. I knew better than to ask what they were talking about. I may be close with Elena, but I couldn't delude myself into thinking I was close with Stefan. Damon didn't seem concerned though, he just smirked and took a sip of his champagne before walking off.

I scanned the room for a sign of my parents. I didn't see them, but thankfully I also didn't see John Gilbert. Jenna came up to us, wearing a beautiful burgundy dress with bell sleeves, and had a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Look at you girls!" Jenna exclaimed. "You look gorgeous!"

"Someone's having fun." Elena laughed. "Thank you, Aunt Jenna."

"Yeah, thank you. So do you." I smiled.

"History teacher, three o'clock." Elena nudged Jenna.

"Been looking for you." Mr. Saltzman approached us.

"Here I am." Jenna replied. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah well uh, things have been a little crazy." Mr. Saltzman replied. I cringed at the awkward exchange. "But I'm here now. Do you wanna get a drink?"

Jenna hesitated for a moment, but then agreed. "Sure."

Mr. Saltzman slipped his hand into Jenna's and led her to the bar. It should have made me feel awkward to see my teacher at a party, drinking and dating, but it didn't. Truthfully, I just felt so bad for him that his wife left him, I was happy to see him with someone. Especially when that someone was a person as great as Jenna.

"Hey Elena, Hey Lucy!" Matt greeted us, looking around the room with a grin on his face. "When did this happen?"

"DJ had a change of heart." Elena shrugged.

"Wanna dance?" Matt offered.

He clearly had also been drinking, but Elena spared him the third degree. Maybe because he wasn't her boyfriend. I wondered where Caroline was, and how she'd feel if she saw Matt over here asking Elena to dance.

"I don't know." Elena tried to turn him down. She must have also been thinking about Caroline.

"Yes." Matt smiled.

"Matt." Elena protested.

"Yes. Come on." Matt dragged Elena out to the dance floor, leaving me alone.

I wasn't alone for very long though. Someone tapped my shoulder, and I turned around to see Tyler Lockwood. Great.

He held out his hand. "Care to dance?"

I looked around. He wouldn't dare misbehave with this many people around who knew he was the Mayor's son. "Why not?"

I took his hand and he led me out to the dance floor, swaying me back and forth to the beat. The last time I had danced with a guy had been my homecoming dance last year. Even though it was Tyler, it was actually kind of fun.

"So how are you liking the party?" Tyler asked. He was also slurring his words, and I began to question where the heck all these seventeen year olds were getting liquor from.

"It's . . . fancy." I replied.

Tyler laughed. "That's the Founder's Council for you."

"Must be fun." I replied. "Different party every weekend."

"I guess." Tyler shrugged. "Listen, I wanted to apologize for how I acted the first night I met you. I promise I'm not normally like that. I was drunk and . . ."

"You're drunk now." I pointed out.

"Fair." He said. "But my point is, I was a dick, and I'm sorry, and it won't happen again."

I smiled. "Thank you Tyler."

"Excuse me, may I cut in?" Damon tapped my shoulder. Tyler and I both paused, and stared at him, not sure what to say. "That wasn't really a request. Get lost kid. I think Donovan needs help finishing off a bottle."

For a moment, I was worried Tyler was going to get aggressive with Damon. But the second Damon told him to get lost, he did. Maybe he was just trying to show that he really wasn't the jerk that he acted like the night I met him.

"You look absolutely lovely tonight." Damon spoke into my ear as he pulled me in to dance.

"What the hell was that?" I whispered, trying to ignore his compliment despite the blood rushing to my cheeks.

"Saw that guy talking to you and wanted to get rid of him." Damon said. "He reeks of douchebag."

I glared at him. "And you reek of whiskey."

"You say whiskey like it's a bad thing." Damon smirked. "Are you enjoying your first official Founder's Council party?"

I was enjoying it a lot more now that I was wrapped up in Damon's arms. But I couldn't cue him in on that. I was already worried that we would bump into Matt and Elena on the dance floor, and I'd suddenly be in the middle of another cat fight with her.

"Enjoying would be a strong word." I replied.

Damon fake pouted. "What's wrong, Daddy issues? I believe I saw him here."

"What? Elena told you?" I froze.

He raised his eyebrow. "Elena tells me lots of things."

"Yeah apparently she does. Odd for someone who supposedly hates you." I narrowed my eyes.

"Oh come on, you and I both know Elena doesn't actually hate me." Damon leaned in closer. "She secretly loves me."

I groaned. "Are you always this full of yourself?"

"Only when I'm drunk. So yes." He said with another smirk. "Speaking of, I need another. Care to join me at the bar?"

"I thought you wanted to dance." I replied.

Damon made a face. "I just didn't want you to dance with _him_. Come on."

I rolled my eyes and let Damon drag me to the bar, not that I really had a choice. He ordered another bourbon. I pulled my phone out and saw that my mom had texted me.

_We headed home. Getting a bit late for us. Feel free to stay out as long as you want. Love you! – Mom_

_Night, love you too!_ I replied.

Thank god I at least didn't have to worry about my parents and John possibly running into each other tonight. Elena came up to us, and shot me a quick glance before turning to Damon.

"Have you noticed what your brother's been up to?" She questioned him with an accusatory tone.

Damon sipped his drink. "Nope, been too preoccupied with yours. Jeremy's been asking questions about Vicki Donovan's death."

Elena looked at me and then back to Damon. "He knows that her death was ruled an overdose."

"Really? 'Oh, but Sheriff, someone buried her. Who would do that?' " Damon spoke with mockery in his voice, and I wondered how he could possibly be so blasé about someone's death.

"I could always uh," Damon cleared his throat and looked at me. "Have a chat with him, if you'd like."

"No. I don't want you talking to him." Elena shot him down.

This is exactly what I meant when I said that it seems like Elena doesn't want anyone going near Damon. At least I knew I wasn't the only one who thought Vicki's death was suspicious. For a moment, I felt like I was in some Stepford town where everyone just pretended everything was okay when it so obviously wasn't.

"If he keeps asking questions . . ." Damon trailed off.

"Damon no, I'm serious." Elena glared at him. "You're not talking to him. I'll handle it."

"Okay." Damon shrugged. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

With that, Damon was gone, leaving an awkward silence between Elena and me. I could tell she was mad about Damon, and worried about Stefan, but Jeremy was her main concern right now.

"So um, what was that about?" I asked.

Elena shook her head. "Jeremy and Vicki were . . . involved . . . and he's not taking her death very well."

"I'm sorry, _what_?" I retorted. "Wasn't she like, a senior?"

"Yeah, don't even get me started on that right now." Elena sighed. "After our parents died, he went into the really dark place and was drinking and smoking and getting into fights all the time. He was just starting to get better, and then Vicki died. I'm just worried he's going to go back to that."

I nodded. "He's been through a lot."

"I should really go talk to him. Will you be okay alone?" She asked.

"Yeah go ahead, I'll catch up with you later." I gave Elena's hand a squeeze before she walked off to find Jeremy.

I picked up an abandoned glass from the bar and took a sip. It tasted like hand sanitizer. Apparently corners were cut with the vodka selection. I did my best to down the drink, and scanned the room looking for a familiar face to hang out with. I spotted Caroline's pink dress on the dance floor. She was looking around the room, confused.

"There you are!" She called out as I walked up to her. "Have you seen Matt? I've barely spent any time with him tonight."

"Um . . ." I wasn't sure how to tell her that I had last seen Matt dancing with Elena.

"Come on, let's go look for him." Caroline grabbed my arm and dragged me with her.

It looked like a fair number of people were headed outside, so Caroline trailed them, with me in tow. They seemed to be crowded around something. I heard Elena yell for help, and instantly pulled Caroline in the direction of the scream, pushing through people as I went. We reached Elena, and I turned my head to follow her gaze. Tyler Lockwood was on top of Matt Donovan, his fist coated in blood.

Tyler kept throwing punches, and Matt was clearly losing this fight. Despite Elena's cries for help, everyone was just standing around watching the fight. A man pushed through the growing crowd of people, and pulled Tyler off of Matt. It was Mr. Saltzman.

"Tyler. Hey. Stop." He yelled, pushing Tyler against the wall.

"What happened?" I whispered to Elena.

"Matt and I walked outside and found Tyler kissing Kelly." Elena explained.

"Oh my god. Ew." I stuck my tongue out.

So Tyler's nice act really was just an act. Caroline narrowed her eyes at Elena. She must be upset that she had spent the better part of her night trying to find Matt, only to find that he had been spending time with Elena.

"I said stop." Mr. Saltzman shoved Tyler again. "What the hell was that, huh?"

I had to give Mr. Saltzman credit, he really could hold his own in a fight. Jenna sure knew how to pick them. Mayor Lockwood dashed outside, looking around until his eyes found his son.

"I'll take it from here." He not so gently shoved Mr. Saltzman away from his son.

Tyler was out of breath. Mr. Saltzman looked between the Mayor and his son, before nodding and taking a step back. Mayor Lockwood put a hand on Tyler's shoulder.

"It's all right, it's ok." His voice was calm, but I could tell it was only performative. "You hurt? Go get cleaned up. It's ok."

He directed Tyler back into the house and quickly addressed Mr. Saltzman. "Thank you for the help. Everything's fine. Everything's fine everybody come on back to the party let's go. Everybody come on have a good time."

The Mayor managed to disperse most of the crowd, while Elena and Caroline guided Matt to a seat.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked.

"Where is she?" Matt looked around for his mom.

"I don't know." Elena said. "She's not here."

"Why don't we go find her?" Caroline suggested. "I can help you take her home."

Matt nodded. Elena got up to help the two of them, not picking up on the fact that Caroline was just desperate for some alone time with Matt, no matter what it took. I went back into the ballroom, where Mayor Lockwood was making some speech about it being the 150th anniversary of the town, pretending his son hadn't just completely embarrassed him in front of a good chunk of his party guests.

I saw Damon, and immediately went over to him. He looked at me for a moment, but didn't say anything. I looked on stage to see none other than John Gilbert walking up, smiling and waving to everyone. I attempted to reach for Damon's drink, and he snatched it away.

"Um, underage." He stated.

"Um, didn't seem to care when it was your brother." I rolled my eyes. "I need it."

"Trust me, I need it more." Damon took a sip.

I gestured towards John. "That asshole on stage is my dad."

"Hmph." Damon handed me the glass, and went off to get another.

John was talking about community, prosperity, and family. It was all I could do not to scream. How could he stand up there talking about family as if he hadn't abandoned his own?

God, this night was a total waste of a new dress. Damon was over sipping his new drink, chatting with Mr. Saltzman. They looked pretty buddy buddy for two guys who hated each other the last time I checked.

Elena walked up to me, sans Matt and Caroline. "Hey, are you ready to get out of here? Caroline left with Matt and his Mom. God are you drinking? I can't handle any more drama tonight."

I held up my hands. "No drama, I promise."

She rolled her eyes. "Can you go ask the valet guys to bring around my car? I'll meet you out there, I just need to talk to Damon about something."

I nodded, but eyed her as she walked away. Strange how Elena had no problem talking to Damon whenever she felt like it, but I wasn't supposed to. I finally took off in the direction of the exit. I walked into a room and saw Tyler and Mayor Lockwood. I quickly ducked back out before either of them could see me, but I still heard the unmistakable sound of a person being hit.

"That is the last time you ever embarrass this family." Mayor Lockwood yelled.

Could this town get any more fucked up?

* * *

_Well you built up a world of magic  
Because your real life is tragic  
Yeah you built up a world of magic_

_If it's not real  
You can't hold it in your hand  
You can't feel it with your heart  
And I won't believe it  
But if it's true  
You can see it with your eyes  
Oh, even in the dark  
And that's where I want to be, yeah_

_Go get your shovel_

_We'll dig a deep hole  
To bury the castle, bury the castle  
Go get your shovel  
We'll dig a deep hole  
To bury the castle, bury the castle_


	13. Chapter 13 - All I Need

**Here is Chapter Thirteen, it's a juicy one so I hope you enjoy! I have Chapter 14 already written, I'll post it either on Friday or if I can get 7 new reviews or follows before then! We're officially at 50,000 words with this Chapter! XO, Eden.**

* * *

_Song: All I Need_

_Artist: Within Temptation_

_I'm dying to catch my breath  
Oh why don't I ever learn?  
I've lost all my trust,  
Though I've surely tried to turn it around_

_Can you still see the heart of me?  
All my agony fades away  
When you hold me in your embrace_

_Don't tear me down for all I need  
Make my heart a better place  
Give me something I can believe  
Don't tear me down  
You've opened the door now, don't let it close_

After how bad the events of the weekend were, I was almost relieved to head back to school on Monday. At least at school no one was drunk, dads weren't randomly showing up out of nowhere, and no politicians were physically abusing their children. I still felt sick thinking about how Mayor Lockwood treated Tyler; it was no wonder Tyler was such an ass.

Truth be told, I always looked forward to history class. Mr. Saltzman was so unlike any other teacher I had ever had. He seemed to genuinely care about his students, inside and outside of the classroom. We were just getting settled into class while he told us that we'd be learning about the town's history this week when a student I had never seen before came into the classroom.

"Sorry I'm late." She was out of breath as she came into the classroom.

"Looks like we will be at full occupancy today." Mr. Saltzman said. "Welcome home Bonnie."

Bonnie? As in Elena and Caroline's best friend Bonnie? I realized I had never seen a picture of her. She was beautiful; she had dark skin and light green eyes, and her hair was straight with bangs that framed her face perfectly. There was something almost ethereal about her. Why hadn't Elena told me she was coming back?

Bonnie shot Elena a smile that looked more like a grimace, and then quickly avoided eye contact with her. She gave me a look as well, and I realized I must be in what used to be her seat. Instead, she took a seat behind me. Looking over at the expression on Elena and Stefan's faces, I realized that perhaps Bonnie didn't tell them she was coming back. That didn't make any sense; they were supposed to be best friends. If Bonnie wanted to surprise Elena, showing up at school was not the fun way to do it.

After our ridiculous lesson on the town's history, Bonnie immediately jumped up and paced out of the classroom. I looked at Elena, and trailed her out of the school onto the front lawn.

"Bonnie." Elena called out.

"Hey." Bonnie turned around to look at Elena, but kept walking at a pace that made it clear she did not actually want to be followed.

"Hey I um, I tried to grab you after class but you'd already taken off." Elena said, as Bonnie finally slowed. "How are you? How's your family?"

"We're dealing. It's been hard." Bonnie was curt.

"Everyone here really missed you." Elena said.

Bonnie shrugged. "Yeah I just had so much to deal with after Grams' funeral, and honestly after your phone call I just really didn't want to come back."

"I hope you understand why I called . . . I wanted you to know before you came home." I had no clue what Elena was talking about. This was the first I had heard of any drama between her and Bonnie.

"Yeah I understand why. I just wish I didn't know." Bonnie replied.

"I know it's been really hard. . ." Elena started, before being cut off.

"Bonnie! Thank god you're home!" Caroline's perky voice descended upon us. "I know we talked every day, but I missed you! How are you doing?"

"Better. Just better. You know?" Bonnie nodded. "Just glad to be back."

Bonnie's tone completely changed when speaking to Caroline. The hurt was etched all over Elena's face as she observed the interaction between the two.

"I see you've met Lucy." Caroline smiled.

Bonnie turned to me. "Oh, so you're Lucy. I've heard a lot about you."

"Yep that's me. I've heard a lot about you too. It's nice to finally put a face to the name." I smiled, hoping that she didn't hold whatever grudge she clearly had towards Elena at the moment against me as well.

"So, Bonnie. Any big plans now that you're back?" I knew Caroline well enough to know that she was fishing for something.

"I don't know, just try to keep myself busy." Bonnie shrugged.

"Well I can help with that." Caroline perked up at the opportunity to pitch whatever idea she had brewing. "Major wardrobe confab needed ASAP. You need to help me pick the perfect dress for Founder's Court."

"The Founder's Court?" Elena looked confused. "Did I miss something?"

"The Founder's Court." Caroline repeated. "You know, Miss Mystic Falls. They announced it today, and um, you and I are both on it."

"Sorry, what's the Founder's Court?" I asked.

"The Founder's Court." Caroline repeated herself again with an exasperated sigh. "It's _Miss Mystic Falls_. Come on you guys, the beauty pageant! Lucy, you weren't here during sign ups, otherwise you totally would've made it onto the court, you know, since you're basically a founding family."

"What?" Bonnie looked at me. "Lucy's part of a founding family?"

"Yeah, she's Elena's cousin. Her parents adopted her from John Gilbert, so she's totally got founding family blood in her." Caroline clearly hadn't filled Bonnie in on this tidbit during their daily phone calls. "They say you don't have to be part of a founding family to participate, but we all know they only let one person on each year who's not part of one and it's just for show."

"Okay, by your logic I would technically not be a part of a founding family." Elena shot Caroline a look. She was definitely sick of Caroline bringing up the whole adoption thing every five seconds. "God, we signed up for that so long ago, I completely forgot."

"So are you dropping out then?" Caroline asked with a little bit too much hope in her voice.

Bonnie smirked. That was so Caroline to want to get rid of the competition. Especially when the competition was Elena, who Caroline seemed to think carried around a perpetual gold medal with her wherever she went.

"I can't." Elena sighed.

"No?" Caroline pried.

Bonnie caught Elena's eye. "Her mom is the one who wanted her to enter."

Caroline nodded. If she was trying to mask her disappointment, it failed. Things seemed to always be tense between Caroline and Elena. First Caroline saw Elena as competition for her boyfriend, and now Elena was her literal competition for some beauty pageant.

"Right." Caroline said, and turned to Bonnie. "So, you'll help me pick out dresses after school, then?"

Caroline didn't give Bonnie the chance to answer before forcing a smile at Elena and me and walking off. Bonnie shot an uncomfortable glance at Elena.

"I have to go." Bonnie mumbled.

"Bonnie wait!" Elena stopped her. "Can we catch up later?"

Bonnie shrugged. "Maybe. We'll see."

Elena was visibly down struck by Bonnie's soft rejection of her. It was surprising to me as well. This definitely wasn't how I had envisioned my first time meeting the third part of their best friend trio.

I waited until Bonnie was out of earshot before addressing the awkwardness. "I take it you didn't know she was coming back?"

"Nope. I barely even spoke to her while she was gone." Elena shook her head. "I thought she just needed space to grieve alone, but turns out she was talking to Caroline ever day."

"I'm sorry, Elena." I sighed. "I don't know her at all, so I can't even begin to imagine what's going on in her mind, but I do know that she's grieving, and everyone does that differently."

"You're right." Elena agreed. "If she wants space, I should give it to her."

"Let's be real, you just want an excuse to avoid the 'major wardrobe confab.'" I teased.

Elena groaned. "I am so not ready for this Miss Mystic Falls thing. I need to see if Stefan will be my escort."

"Yeah you'd better get on that." I joked. "Make sure you have room for a plan B, you know, in case Stefan doesn't want to go with you."

"Come on, be serious." Elena nudged me. "You should come though, it'll be fun. You'll have another excuse to dress up, and you can help make sure Aunt Jenna doesn't burn my hair off."

"Oof, another Mystic Falls formal event? I don't know if I can handle that after the last one." I pretended to mull it over. "Okay fine, I'll go. But I'm not getting in between in inevitable catfight between you and Caroline."

Elena rolled her eyes. "That, I am most definitely not looking forward to."

* * *

_I'm here on the edge again  
I wish I could let it go  
I know that I'm only one step away  
From turning it around_

_Can you still see the heart of me?  
All my agony fades away  
When you hold me in your embrace_

_Don't tear me down for all I need  
Make my heart a better place  
Give me something I can believe_

_Don't tear it down, what's left of me  
Make my heart a better place_

The rest of the week buzzed by. I didn't get to see much of Elena, with her spending most of her time preparing for the pageant. Apparently there were all these interviews she had to do, and dances to learn. I was glad all I had to do was look cute and provide emotional support.

From what I could gather, things with Bonnie were still tense. Whatever rift was happening between her and Elena was deepened by Caroline desperately wanting to win the pageant. It felt like it was "Team Bonnie and Caroline" vs. "Team Elena." I for one, was looking forward to the three of them mending their issues and hopefully getting the chance to know Bonnie.

I agreed to meet Elena at her house so we could carpool to the Founder's Hall together. I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to going there again after last weekend's events. Apparently Jenna had solidified her relationship with Mr. Saltzman, as he was going to be driving us. He pulled into Elena's driveway just was I was getting out of my car.

"Hi Lucy, you look nice." He greeted me.

I had already gotten ready before coming over, so that I could focus on getting Elena prepared for the pageant. While I was helping her dress shop, I bought a strapless champagne colored dress. It was rather simple, but still elegant.

"Thanks Mr. Saltzman." I smiled.

"You can call me Ric outside of class." He said. "Just want to keep things casual when I'm hanging out with Jenna, you know?"

I nodded. "Right."

Ric knocked on Elena's front door, and she answered looking extremely frazzled. I really felt for her, this pageant thing was so obviously not her thing, but she felt the need to uphold her mom's legacy. That had to be hard.

"Hey." Elena smiled. "Heard you're driving."

"Yeah I am." Ric replied. "Let me get that for you."

Elena handed her dress bag to him as we stepped into the house. "Thanks."

"Uh, how is Stefan?" Ric asked.

Elena turned around, a look of concern on her face. "What do you mean?"

"You know, he seems on edge." Ric shrugged.

"He went through a lot." Elena said. "He was in bad shape for a while, but he's bouncing back now."

Ric nodded, but still looked concerned. I didn't bother to pry; I just assumed it was something to do with his parents. Damon was his legal guardian, and something bad had to have happened for them to end up in that position.

"Alaric." A voice came from the kitchen. "Hey buddy, what are you doing here?"

Elena shot me an apologetic look as John Gilbert emerged from the kitchen. I knew he was staying at their house, but she had assured me that he wouldn't be involved in the activities of the day.

"Well I'm the uh, chauffeur." Ric explained.

"Oh, I thought I was driving." John replied.

"Oh, no need. We're going with Ric." Jenna joined the conversation as she descended the stairs.

Jenna had on a grey satin one-shoulder dress, and her hair was pulled to the side in a curled ponytail. She looked absolutely beautiful, and the smile on Ric's face as he watched her showed that he definitely agreed. They made a great couple.

John nodded and looked at me. "Who's your friend, Elena? I didn't catch her name last time she was here."

"That's Lucy." Elena shifted uncomfortably.

"Lucy, huh." John eyed me. "What's your last name, Lucy?"

"It's um, Adams." I said.

Elena cleared her throat. "Are we ready?"

Jenna nodded. "Jeremy can ride with you, John."

Elena waited until we were in the car to address what had just happened. "I am so sorry, Lucy. I had no idea he was even here."

"Do you think he knows?" I gulped, thinking about how horribly awkward it was to interact with John.

Jenna looked at us in the rear view. "Knows what?"

"What a colossal ass he is." Elena replied.

Jenna laughed, and I tried to read Elena's face. Evidently, she hadn't told Jenna that John was my birth father. I guess that would be a big bomb to drop on her, seeing as that technically made me Jenna's niece. I had a gnawing feeling in my stomach that I was going to have to have a conversation with John eventually.

After seeing it last weekend, it was no surprise to me that the Founder's Hall was absolutely beautiful today. The grand staircase was draped in tulle and Christmas lights to create a charming walkway for the contestants. Flowers were everywhere, and the doors were propped open to let the unseasonably warm breezes flow through the building.

Upstairs, the council had set up a space for the contestants to get ready. Caroline was sat right behind Elena, and was ignoring her, and by association Jenna and me as well.

"Thanks for helping me." Elena smiled at Jenna as she curled one of the final strands of hair. We had pulled her hair half up, secured with a blue-jeweled clip, and curled the rest.

"Don't thank me until you're sure your hair isn't going to burn off." Jenna laughed.

Elena put her makeup brush down and gave a sad look to Jenna in the mirror. "You know, I remember when my mom and I were first applying for this she was so excited."

"So were you, if I recall." Jenna pointed out.

"I was." Elena agreed. "She just made it sound like so much fun. Lot's has changed since then."

"Well I hate to break it to you, but it's a little late for cold feet." Jenna said.

Elena shrugged. "I don't have cold feet I just . . . I think I'd be enjoying it a lot more if she was here."

"I'll tell you one thing, your hair would have a better chance if she was." Jenna tried to lighten the mood.

I reached out to squeeze Elena's hand. She was definitely feeling the absence of her mother today. I wondered what she had been like before her parents had died. The way everyone treated her, it was like she was an entirely different person.

"Ok, I should go put my dress on." Elena got up and looked at the curling iron. "Be careful with that thing. Don't hurt anybody. Lucy, come with? I might need help with the zipper."

I nodded, and followed Elena down the hallway to the changing room. It was a wonder she even knew where she was going; the Founder's Hall was huge. There was already a blonde girl in the room, pacing back and forth. I hadn't met her before.

"Are you okay, Amber?" Elena asked her.

"I hate being the center of attention." She replied. "I get panic attacks."

"Do you need some privacy so you can change?" Elena offered.

"Actually I'm just gonna go get some air." Amber said, and scurried out of the room.

I stifled a laugh as I exchanged glances with Elena. Why sign up for a beauty pageant if you hate being the center of attention? Then again, Elena was here, and she clearly wasn't enjoying the attention. Elena reached for her dress, then jumped and turned around. I followed her gaze to see Damon standing in the corner of the room. Was here there the whole time?

"Hey." Elena's voice wavered. "You can't be back here."

"We need to talk." Damon said.

"Does it have to be right now?" Elena held up her dress, indicating that she had other matters to attend to.

"Yes, in fact, it does." Damon's eyes went over to me. "Alone, if you don't mind."

Elena shot me a pleading glance, and I nodded. Clearly this was one of their secretive moments. I ducked out into the hallway, and heard the door click shut behind me. Sighing, I walked along the hall and looked out one of the windows at the people beginning to gather to watch the pageant.

Part of me was inclined to just accept that Elena, Stefan, and Damon would always have this weird secretive air about them. The other part of me was frustrated. It wasn't fair to just kick me out and exchange glances behind my back as if I wasn't there at all.

Stefan came up the stairs, looking flustered. "Have you seen Elena?"

I gestured down the hallway. "She's in there, talking to Damon."

He rushed down the hallway and pushed the door open. I tried to peer in, to catch a glimpse at what was going on. Elena looked shocked.

"What's going on in here?" Stefan asked.

"Just filling Elena in on your extracurricular activities." Damon said nonchalantly.

Stefan shrugged. "What are you talking about?"

"I know, Stefan." Elena said.

"I'm gonna . . ." Damon looked between the two of them. "I'll be downstairs. Drinking."

Damon shut the door behind him, and cocked his head at me when he saw that I was trying to get a glimpse at what was going on with them. I looked away sheepishly.

"Do you often try to listen in on other people's conversations?" He approached me.

"Do you often crash high school beauty pageants?" I replied.

"Only when the contestants are as beautiful as you." He smirked.

My cheeks flushed. "I'm not competing."

"Well then, the other girls should consider themselves lucky." Damon murmured. "They would stand a chance against you."

I cleared my throat, wanting to change the topic. "Is Stefan okay?"

"Believe me when I tell you that Stefan is none of your concern." Damon's gaze hardened for a moment at the mention of Stefan, but then it softened again. "Save me a dance, okay?"

I couldn't even agree before he paced off and disappeared down the stairs. Something about him always left me unable to find my words. He was always so effortlessly charming.

Carol Lockwood breezed down the hall and knocked on the door to the dressing room to usher Elena towards the rest of the contestants. She was clearly interrupting a heated discussion between Stefan and Elena, and was angry to discover that Elena still didn't have her dress on. Carol coolly instructed Stefan to wait downstairs with the rest of the escorts.

I reached out to grab Stefan's arm as he stormed by me. "Stefan, is everything okay?"

He shook my hand off without a word, and continued into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. I looked back to Elena, but she had already shut the door again. I guess she didn't need my help with her dress after all. Moments later, I heard glass shatter in the bathroom.

"Stefan!" I yelled.

I looked around. There was no one else to hear the sound. I forced the door open, and Stefan turned to glare at me. I gasped. His irises were completely dark, and the whites of his eyes were blood red. The veins under his eyes protruded in a way that I had never seen on another person. His teeth were bared, and his breathing haggard.

"Oh my god." I whispered. "Your eyes. They're . . . oh my god."

Stefan held his hands up, and I watched his eyes shift back to normal. "I can explain. It's okay. Come with me. I'll explain everything."

Stefan grabbed my arm with so much force I was sure it would leave a mark, and dragged me with him. I was so stunned, I couldn't even protest. He took me down the hallway and towards a different stairway, and out a side door.

My thoughts were jumbled. His eyes . . . the way his teeth were . . . I was right? Stefan was . . . a vampire? I had speculated it, but to actually witness it and have it confirmed was a whole other thing. My brain was having trouble processing it.

I should have been scared to follow him, especially with the way he was gripping my arm, but it was Stefan. He was Elena's boyfriend. He would never hurt me. I just wanted to finally get the answers that no one else had offered me.

"Where are you taking me?" I finally asked.

"I don't know." Stefan huffed.

"Stefan . . . doesn't Elena need you for the ceremony?" I realized she would be left alone if he didn't go back.

Stefan pushed me against his car. "I can't think about that right now. Be quiet."

"I was right." I ignored him, and thought aloud. "You're a vampire."

"Yes, you're right. Congratulations." Stefan was clearly angry. "I told you to stop digging into it but of course you didn't listen to me because of that _freaking necklace_."

Stefan grabbed my locket and ripped it off my neck, throwing it into the woods. I almost cried out, and tried to duck away from him, but he grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eye.

"You're going to stay right here with me, do you understand?" His eyes dilated as he spoke.

I no longer felt safe with him. He seemed unhinged. I knew I needed to run, but all I could do was nod in agreement. Even when Stefan let go of my shoulders and started to pace back and forth, I couldn't bring myself to leave him.

"I'm sorry. I'm not very good to be around right now. I've been drinking the human stuff and it's really screwing with my head." Stefan explained. "Oh. She knows now. God she wasn't supposed to find out, I didn't want her to find out now everything's ruined."

"Stefan," I spoke cautiously. "Whatever's upsetting you . . . whatever you did . . . I'm sure it's going to be okay. Elena will understand."

Stefan let out a dark laugh. "I'm not upset, Lucy! I'm freaking _hungry_!"

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. "Do you want to hurt me?"

"No." Stefan shook his head, and I almost let myself breathe out a sigh of relief. "I want to kill you. I want to rip into your skin, and I want to feed on your blood. Under your skin . . . pulsating . . . flowing."

My heart dropped through my stomach. This wasn't Stefan. This couldn't be happening. But it was. I needed to get away from him. But I couldn't move. Why couldn't I move? Stefan stepped towards me and ran his hands through my hair, sending a chill down my spine. He pushed it behind me, and ran a finger down my neck.

"Your carotid artery . . . right there . . ." He eyed my neck. "If you puncture this just right, you can control the blood flow. It takes practice but . . . it doesn't have to make a mess. You don't have to waste any."

"Stefan, please." I could hear the shakiness in my voice. "Don't do this. Think of Elena. Please don't do this."

"You're right." Stefan chuckled. "If I do this . . . if I give in . . . there's no going back."

"Then don't." I pleaded with him.

Stefan licked his lips. "I just want one taste, that's all I need. Just one taste."

His eyes darkened again, the veins protruding from his face. Why did I go with him? Deep down, I knew what he was. I shouldn't have let myself be alone with him.

I screamed as loud as I could when he bit into my neck, praying that someone would hear. I knew it was no use; we were too far away from the hall and the music would be too loud. The pain was unimaginable. White hot, radiating from my neck.

"Stefan, please." I choked out through the pain as he sucked the blood from my neck.

By some miracle, he actually pulled away from me for a moment. I leaned against his car. I still couldn't bring myself to go away from him.

"I can't do this." Stefan paced back and forth, wiping blood onto his sleeve.

"Stefan. It's okay." I tried to calm him, for my own sake. "I'm not hurt that badly. I'll be okay. We'll be okay."

"No you don't understand!" Stefan yelled. "The thirst, it's too strong. It's too much . . . you need to go. I need you to run like hell."

As soon as he said it, it was like a weight lifted from me. Suddenly, I was able to move. I turned and ran into the woods, away from his car. I could feel blood dripping from my neck, onto my chest and dress, and I wasn't sure if I would even be able to make it back to the hall. I was so dizzy. I almost lost my balance as I ran right into . . . Stefan.

"You said to run." I whimpered.

"I changed my mind." Stefan growled.

I let out another scream before he silenced me with his hand, biting back into my neck. I realized I had failed. Stefan was going to kill me. The animal inside of him, the animal that he was, it was going to win.

I could feel myself getting weak as Stefan drank from me. His hands clenched on me were the only reason I was still standing. All I could think was that this was it. This would be how I die. My parents would be left with no kids. All because I wanted answers about vampires. How ridiculous was that?

"Stefan!" I heard Elena cry out. I wasn't sure if it was real or if it was just my mind playing tricks on my in my final moments.

"Stefan." Damon's voice sounded.

Stefan released his grip on me, and my legs buckled under the weight of my own body. Through my blurred vision, I made out Elena's terrified face, Damon, and . . . Bonnie? I knew that it wasn't real as soon as I saw Bonnie trailing Elena.

I shut my eyes. I was so tired.

I just needed to close my eyes for a moment. The darkness was so comforting.

* * *

_I tried many times but nothing was real  
Make it fade away, don't break me down  
I want to believe that this is for real  
Save me from my fear_

_Don't tear me down_

_Don't tear me down for all I need  
Make my heart a better place  
Don't tear me down for all I need  
Make my heart a better place_


	14. Chapter 14 - Song for the Waiting

_Song: Song For the Waiting_

_Artist: Aron Wright_

_There's no straight road  
Tonight to take me home  
To lay me in my lover's bed  
There's no good way  
Tonight to make me okay  
No voice to calm  
My rainy head_

_It's not the road  
It's not the miles  
Or being alone  
That tells my heart  
She should be aching  
The danger's in  
The danger's in  
The danger's in the waiting_

I woke up gasping for air, and immediately my hands went to my neck. I pulled them away, and they were clean. There was no blood, just smooth skin. Had I dreamt it all?

I was in a bed, still wearing my dress. There was dried blood on the bodice and on my chest. Blood that confirmed that it wasn't a dream. My mind was flooded with the memory of what had just happened. Stefan was a vampire. Stefan had tried to kill me.

I looked around. I recognized the room I was in. I had been here before. It was Damon's bedroom. Damon. If Stefan was a vampire . . . that meant Damon was a vampire.

"Good, you're awake." Damon emerged from a dark corner of the room.

I screamed. "Get away from me. Don't hurt me. I know what you are."

"Relax." Damon held up his hands. "If I wanted to kill you, I've had plenty of opportunities to do it already."

He sat down next to me on the bed, and I scooted as far away from him as I could, almost falling off the edge in the process. Damon reached out to steady me, and I flinched at his touch. My eyes darted around the room, looking for a way out. It was pitch black outside. How long had I been out?

"My parents." I sputtered. "They'll be worried sick. I need to talk to them."

"Don't worry about it." Damon held up my phone. "You already talked to them. You're staying at Elena's."

I reached for my phone, and he pulled it away from me, shoving it in his pocked. I crossed my arms.

"Elena. Where is she?" I demanded.

"In the dungeon." Damon replied. "Relax. She's not locked up. Though I could arrange for that if you so desired. She's with Stefan. We had to put him in a bit of a time out."

"Stefan . . ." I felt my heart start to race at the mention of his name. "Stefan tried to kill me."

"Stefan has a bit of a drinking problem." Damon shrugged.

I glared at him. "Is this funny to you?"

"On the contrary, Stefan's caused quite a problem for me." His eyes narrowed. "You see, the Founder's Council isn't too keen on having vampires in town, so we prefer to fly under the radar. Which is kind of hard to do when someone's robbing a blood bank's entire stock, and kidnapping girls in broad daylight."

My hands went to my wound free neck again. "How am I . . . he bit me . . . I thought I was going to . . . how am I alive?"

"I fed you my blood." Damon explained. I made a disgusted face. "It heals humans. We have all sorts of special powers."

A knock came from the door, and I looked over to see Elena walking in. She held a folded pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"I heard you wake up." She said. "I thought you might want a change of clothes."

I nodded. "Thanks."

Elena sat down at the foot of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I was so scared." I whispered. "I wanted to run from him, and I couldn't. Why couldn't I run?"

"We can compel humans to do whatever we want." Damon explained. "It's _loads _of fun."

Elena glared at Damon. Stefan's expression as he gripped my shoulders and told me not to move flashed through my mind. It felt so familiar. That wasn't the first time he had tried to compel me. The night of the auction . . . and the other day when we were shopping.

"But . . . he's tried to do it before." I thought aloud. "And it didn't work. He tried to get me to stop looking for information on vampires."

"Your necklace has vervain in it, which keeps their powers from working on you." Elena explained. "We didn't know you had it in your pocket when we were shopping the other day. That's why it didn't work."

"_We_? You _asked _him to compel me?" My hands went to where my necklace should have been. "Oh my god. My necklace. He threw it into the woods."

Elena reached over to put her hands over mine. "It's okay, Lucy. We'll find it."

"Don't touch me." I jerked away from her. "You lied to me about everything, Elena. You've been lying to me. I asked you straight up if Stefan was a vampire, and you said they weren't real."

"Lucy I was just trying to protect you." Elena sighed.

"Protect me?" I exclaimed. "Elena, your boyfriend tried to _kill_ me."

"I'd like to point out that he's not normally like this." Damon interjected.

"He doesn't drink human blood. Ever. But he was hurt so I had to give him some of mine." Elena tried to explain. "And he hasn't been handling it well."

"Hasn't been handling it well?" I shook my head. "No, Elena. Not handling it well would be missing a few days of school, not draining my blood to the point where I pass out in the woods. This whole time you've been telling me to stay away from Damon and turns out his brother's the problem."

Elena looked at Damon. "Can you give us a moment?"

"And leave you alone to discuss my wrongdoings without giving me the chance to defend myself?" Damon raised an eyebrow. "I don't think so."

Elena huffed and looked to me for help. I glared back at her. Right now I didn't particularly trust either of them, but I felt more confident that she wouldn't tell me any more lies if Damon was there to keep her in check.

"I want the truth." I ordered. "All of it. What happened tonight?"

"Well Damon thought that right before the pageant was the best time to have an intervention with Stefan." Elena said.

"Hindsight twenty-twenty, maybe not the best idea." Damon admitted. "Vampires have very heightened emotions. So when we're angry, we're really angry. And they all kind of get jumbled together. So anger easily turns to bloodlust, especially with Stefan."

"You just happened to be the person he saw while he was raging." Elena hung her head.

"Where is he now?" I asked, fear lingering in my voice.

"I told you, he's in the dungeon." Damon answered nonchalantly.

I made a face when I realized he wasn't joking. "How did you get him under control?"

"Well," Elena hesitated. "Bonnie disarmed him temporarily."

"Bonnie?" I pried. So it wasn't my mind playing tricks on me when I saw her.

"Bonnie's . . . a witch." Elena revealed.

"Jesus." I exhaled.

It shouldn't have been that big of a surprise to me. If vampires are real, that means other myths could very well be real. I didn't know what to believe or not believe anymore.

"But then he got away." Elena shot a look a Damon that let me know she blamed him for Stefan getting away.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Excuse me, I was a little preoccupied with not letting her _die_ to chase after my lunatic ripper of a brother."

"So I had to find Stefan, and inject him with vervain. So we could bring him back here." Elena finished.

I nodded, trying to take it all in. With the pouty expression on Elena's face, I almost felt bad for her that she had to watch her boyfriend act like this. Almost. Then I remembered that none of this would have happened if she had just told me the truth when I asked, and I wouldn't have felt the need to go off with angry Stefan looking for answers.

"Alright, story time is over." Damon clapped his hands and looked at Elena. "Can I wipe her memory now?"

"What?" I jumped up from the bed. "No you can't do that."

"Lucy, we have to." Elena tried to explain. "It's to protect you."

"To protect me?" I shouted. "Elena, I almost died today because I was trying to get answers from Stefan. How is this to protect me?"

"You can't know about us." Damon said.

"She gets to know." I shot an angry stare at Elena. "Tell me, is this really to protect me? Or is this to protect _Stefan_."

Elena looked away from me sheepishly. "I can't have you telling anyone."

"I'm not going to tell anyone." I defended myself.

"And why should we believe that?" Damon countered.

I crossed my arms. Who would I tell? It's not like anyone would believe me. I just needed to know. I needed to be able to be on guard, so that I would never be in another situation like the one I was in with Stefan.

"Ask me." I finally said. "I don't have my necklace on. You can compel me. Make me tell you the truth."

Damon stared at me for a moment, pondering my suggestion. Then he shrugged, and stood up. As much as I wanted to retreat, I let him put his hand on my shoulder and look into my eyes. The gesture sent chills down my spine. Instantly, I was brought back to the night I met him, when he insisted on taking me to my car. Had he tried to compel me then?

"Tell me the truth," He began.

"No wait." Elena cut him off. "Don't do it. I trust her."

"Oh come on." Damon rolled his eyes. "Now's not the time to be a do-gooder Elena."

"I'm serious Damon." Elena said. "Lucy trusts us enough to compel her. We have to trust her."

I wouldn't go so far as to call it trust, just desperation. It would be a long time, if ever, before I could trust Elena again. But I wasn't going to stop her. The thought of Damon controlling my mind, even with Elena keeping an eye on him, made me uneasy.

"Fine." Damon huffed and removed his hand from my arm. "We'll do it your way. But don't come crying to me if the council shows up on our doorstep with a bunch of stakes looking for Stefan."

Elena rolled her eyes at Damon, but thanked him. I exhaled when he sat back down, not realizing that I had been holding my breath. I stayed standing, eyeing the two of them.

"Ok, so we're doing trust." I looked at Elena. "Why do you hate him?"

Damon opened his mouth to speak, but I held my hand up. "Don't. I deserve to know."

"Do you want the short list or the long list?" Elena retorted earning a glare from both Damon and me. "Ok fine, let's start with more recent events, like Vicki Donovan. You and Jeremy were right about it not adding up that her body was buried in the woods; she didn't die of an overdose."

I gasped. "Damon . . . killed Matt's sister?"

"Don't look at me, I just buried the body." Damon said. "Well technically I killed her the first time. But Stefan killed her the second time."

"Stefan only killed her because _you_ turned her into a vampire and she couldn't handle it." Elena seethed.

"Why did you turn Vicki into a vampire?" I raised an eyebrow at Damon.

"She was all '_wah I don't remember my dad but from what I can gather he's not worth remembering'_ and '_I'm the screwed up one when I think of my future I just come up blank' _and I thought being a vampire might . . . fix some of that." Damon held up his hands in mock surrender. "Again, hindsight twenty-twenty."

"So what happened? Why'd you have to kill her?" I asked.

"Again, it was Stef-" Damon stopped speaking when Elena glared at him again.

"Because," Elena huffed. "All of her impulsivity and her issues got heightened ten fold when she became a vampire. She became violent and angry and attacked Jeremy and me."

I sat down on Damon's bed again; dizzy from all the information I was being given. Elena's eyes were brimming with tears, and I felt myself begin to feel sorry for her for the second time that night. If I was struggling to take this world in, she must have struggled with it as well. Maybe she really was just trying to protect me from everything she had gone through.

"So the world's down a junkie, what's the big deal?" Elena and I both looked at Damon with disgust as he tried to joke about the situation.

"The big deal? That was Matt's sister. Jeremy's girlfriend. We all loved her." Elena shouted. "And don't even try to act like that was an isolated incident."

"What so ever could you possibly mean, Elena?" Damon's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Lexi?" A tear finally fell from Elena's eyes as she whispered the name.

"Who's Lexi?" I asked.

"Stefan's best friend." Elena said.

"Stefan had a friend?" My thoughts slipped out, earning a chuckled from Damon and a nasty look from Elena.

Elena wiped her eyes. "He did, before Damon _killed her_."

"She's leaving out the part where I was throwing the council off of Stefan and I's path." Damon countered. "Would you rather it be a stake through his heart?"

"I'd rather it be a stake through no one's heart, Damon." Elena crossed her arms and leaned back against Damon's pillows.

All of this and we hadn't even gotten to Elena's birth mother. Here I had thought she was the reason behind the rift between Damon and Elena. At this point, I was scared to ask, because I was pretty sure I could guess what had happened.

"Did he . . . did you . . . kill Elena's birth mother?" I whispered, not daring to make eye contact with either of them.

Damon let out a low, menacing laugh. "No I didn't kill Isobel, contrary to everyone's belief."

"He turned her." Elena spat out.

"There's a big asterisk there." Damon pointed a finger at Elena. "She came to me asking to be turned."

I looked at him. "What? Why would she ask for that?"

"She was obsessed with the supernatural and bored of playing house with the history teacher." Damon shrugged. "Though I wish she had tied up that loose end, was not fun when he came to town trying to kill me."

"Ric." I nodded. "Wait, so Mr. Saltzman really isn't a vampire?"

"Far from it." Damon confirmed.

"But . . . the rings . . ." I trailed off. There was no way they could convince me that the three of them all wear those gaudy rings as a fashion statement.

"Stefan and I wear these so we can walk in the sun, thanks to a little witchy-woo." Damon held up his hand. "Nineteenth century Bennett witches were much kinder, by the way."

"But why would Alaric need a ring that can help him walk in the sun?" I questioned.

Elena shook her head. "Alaric's ring isn't a daylight ring. It has some other type of spell on it; it makes it so he can't be killed by any supernatural being. I don't know why they look so similar, same era I guess."

"Daddy has one too." Damon wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"Wait . . . John?" He and Elena both nodded in response. "John knows about vampires?"

"Yup." Damon popped the p. "_That_ was a pleasant surprise."

"My parents always told me they agreed to leave town when they adopted me so they wouldn't have to cross paths with John." I thought aloud. "I wonder if he asked them to leave so we wouldn't be around vampires."

"Or maybe," Damon interjected. "He just didn't want to have to see his shame spawn grow up right in front of him."

"Really Damon?" Elena scowled at him.

I stood up again, my breath quickening as I paced back and forth in front of the bed. Everything I knew, everything I believed about the world had been turned upside down in a matter of hours. I ran my hands through my hair, cringing as I touched matted strands and realized they were held together with dried blood.

For the first time that evening, I caught sight of my reflection in Damon's mirror. It looked like someone had tried to clean off where the bite wounds were, but my chest and shoulders were still streaked with blood. My dress was undoubtedly ruined; there was no way the bloodstain was coming out. My makeup was streaked from crying tears of pain and fear, and my hair was tangled and clumped. I was a mess.

"Can I just have a minute?" I requested. "Shower, change, _think_."

"Of course you can." Elena instantly stood up and handed me the clothes she had brought into the room. "We'll be downstairs if there's anything else you need."

Damon waited until Elena was out of earshot before turning to me. "Don't even think about trying to run. I'll know."

I made a face at him. "I'm not going to run."

Strangely, that was the truth. I had no intention of running away from them. It almost felt like if I stayed in this house, none of it was real. If I stepped outside, knowing what I know now, it would be like carrying that information into the real world, thus making it real. I just needed to process it all, or try to.

I sat on the floor of Damon's shower, letting the water run over me. Admittedly, the four showerheads were an over the top but very pleasant touch. It felt like no matter how long I sat there, the water that pooled on the shower floor continued to hold a pale pink tinge from the blood rinsing out of my hair.

None of this made any sense, and yet it also made all the sense in the world. All the secrets, the hushed whispers and stolen glances, they were all because Stefan and Damon were vampires. I had moved into a supernatural town straight out of a young adult novel.

Did my parents know? Is that why they left? Is that why my family puts vervain over graves, to protect from vampires? Or was it just a coincidence? After what I had learned today, I couldn't allow myself to believe in coincidences anymore. But why come back? Why would they allow us to return to this town if they knew the secrets that it carried?

I thought about all of the times I had been alone with Damon. The night that I had met him, the first night after I had moved here, he had been so determined to get me alone. Then there was that day in the woods, he turned away from the blood on my hands . . . how did he control himself? Why hadn't he hurt me? It would have been so easy to drain my blood and leave me for dead in the woods.

I don't know how long I sat there, my mind running wild, until the water finally ran clear. I stood up and washed myself, trying to rid my body of the feelings I had experienced today. Even though Damon had healed me, I still felt achy and exhausted.

I stepped out and pulled on the clothes Elena had left for me. It felt comforting to pull on something clean and soft. Pulling my fingers through my hair, trying to undo some of the knots, I made my way back into Damon's room.

It was easily the most lavish room I had ever been in. The wooden bed was massive and intricately carved; I couldn't even imagine how much it weighed. I made my way over to a trunk that was stacked with his belongings, wanting to get some idea for who this man . . . this vampire was.

The stack was made up of mostly books, a lot of them first editions. One thing in particular caught my eye, a picture . . . of Elena? Why would Damon have a picture of his brother's girlfriend in his room? It was a black and white print, clearly taken on a film camera. It looked quite aged. My eyes drifted downwards and I gasped when I saw the writing on the photo.

_Katherine, 1864. _

The floorboards behind me creaked, and I felt my stomach drop as I turned around to see Damon staring at me with narrowed eyes. "Do you often make it a habit of going through other people's belongings?"

I stood in stunned silence, my eyes never leaving Damon's narrowed stare. Katherine, _the_ Katherine, looked like Elena. She didn't just look like her, it's like she was her.

"Well?" Damon pried expectantly.

"What is this?" I held up the photo of Katherine, my voice not half as shaky as I was expecting. "Why does she look just like Elena?"

"Elena's a descendant of Katherine's." Damon said. "Her great-great-great granddaughter or something."

"1864." I whispered, running my thumb over the letters on the photograph. "You said you were in your twenties."

"I _was_ twenty five years old," Damon explained. "When I died and became a vampire."

I nodded. "What happened?"

"I could tell you," He offered. "But it would be easier if I showed you."

My breathing hitched as Damon stepped closer to me, quite literally backing me into a corner. He held out his hands, and I realized that his mind control powers must give him the ability to make me see whatever he wants. I glanced at the door, wishing for Elena to come back in and make sure I wasn't left entirely to Damon's mercy.

The part of me that wanted to know Damon's story outweighed the part of me that feared him, and I nodded, giving him permission to enter my mind. Slowly, he brought his hands to my temples, placing a feather light touch on my skin. I closed my eyes instinctively, and instead of the blackness I expected, Damon's visions filled my sight.

* * *

_I see my life well rehearsed  
And it bores my mind  
It's like a show  
I've seen a thousand times before  
I see my life in reverse and it scares me inside  
I see all the ways  
I should be giving more_

_It's not the road  
It's not the miles  
Or being alone  
That tells my heart  
She should be aching_

_The danger's in  
The danger's in  
The danger's in the waiting_

_The night is warm but lonely  
I should be crawling in_

_You're fast asleep but I am waiting_

_The days are so unholy  
You make me right again  
The night is long  
I'll be waiting_

* * *

**A/N: So Lucy officially knows! I know some of you were worried that they would compel her memories away, but I thought she deserves to know. The next Chapter will be entirely flashbacks of Damon's memories that he shares with Lucy, so if you love 1864 Damon you'll love the next Chapter. I'll post it either next Friday, or if I can get 7 new reviews or 7 new follows before then! XO, Eden.**


	15. Chapter 15 - I'll Be Thinking of You

**A/N: Here is the flashback chapter! It's much longer than previous chapters so I hope you enjoy. **

**I just have to say thank you SO much to all of the kind words you have been leaving in the reviews. It truly means so much to me that other people are finding joy in my writing. The only negative things anyone has said have been about Elena being controlling and annoying, which to be honest is just me trying to write her the same way I felt she treated people on the show at times. I have Chapter 16 written already, so I'll post it as soon as I get 7 new reviews or follows, or by friday :)**

**Thank you also to KimmyWSmith, who has offered to act as a beta and proofread my work. Love you all, XO, Eden.**

* * *

Song: I'll Be Thinking of You

Artist: Jamie McDonald

When the sun sets on the ocean

When the yellow touches the blue

When your heart begins to open

I'll be so close to you

Damon emerged from his home, onto a beautifully landscaped lawn with intricately trimmed bushes forming a green pathway. Stefan, wearing a white flowing top and suspenders, chased after him. Their home was grand, with tall windows and grand columns. The Salvatore's were well off, even before being alive for a century and a half.

"Wait, where did you learn this game?" Stefan called after Damon.

"A camp outside Atlanta, one of the officers picked it up at Harvard." Damon replied, breathless with excitement. "Catch."

Damon tossed a football to Stefan, and quickly lunged after him, going in for a tackle. Stefan held up a hand, and turned to run when he realized there was no stopping Damon.

"Wait, wait." Stefan protested. "What are the rules?"

"Who needs rules?" A familiar voice sounded.

Damon turned his head, and Elena- no, Katherine, came into view. She stood on the front porch of the white wood house. Katherine was beautiful, physically like Elena in every way. However, Katherine carried herself with an air of grace and confidence that Elena didn't. Her dress was blue, with blue puffed sleeves that hung flirtatiously off of her shoulders in a way that framed her large necklace perfectly. As she descended the steps of the front porch, she held her long skirt out of the way of her feet.

A heat rushed to Damon's cheeks, and his heart began to pound inside his chest even faster than it had when he was running from his brother. It was his first time seeing Katherine, and she had quite literally taken his breath away.

"Mind if I join you?" Katherine asked.

"Well you could get hurt," Stefan politely tried to reject her. "My brother likes to play rough."

Katherine giggled and stepped closer to Stefan. "Somehow, I think that you play rougher."

Stefan gazed at Katherine, entranced by her beauty and her teasing charm. As she stepped even closer, it appeared as if Damon was about to witness a moment that wasn't meant for his eyes. But Katherine merely took advantage of Stefan's fixation with her, and snatched the football from his hands.

She let out an infectious laugh as she ran away from the brothers, pink sash and flowing skirt trailing behind her. Damon was just as entranced by Katherine as Stefan was. After getting a glimpse of his brother in his peripheral vision, he finally tore his eyes away from her and looked over to Stefan.

"Why are you standing there? That is a girl who clearly wants to be chased." He prodded Stefan playfully, and then shrugged. "Well if you don't do it, I will."

With that, Damon tore after her. The heavy sound of footsteps indicated that Stefan had chosen to trail him as well. Despite both brothers chasing after the beautiful girl, the air between them was light and happy. Having only just met Katherine, they hadn't yet been torn apart by her.

* * *

Floorboards creaked as Damon crept through the dark hallway of his house, trying not to disturb anyone in the quiet of the night. As he passed a cracked door, he paused to peer at the candle light illuminated scene inside. Katherine sat admiring her own reflection, wearing only a pink corset and underskirt. Her hair was in curls that spiraled down her back, much longer than Elena's straight tresses.

"Mr. Salvatore, spying on a lady is a sign of very poor manners." Katherine scolded with a smirk that let him know she was merely teasing.

"My apologies Miss Katherine." Damon stepped into the room.

In the reflection, Damon was just as undeniably handsome as in present day, but he had an air of youth to him. His jet-black hair was longer, and mussed up around his face. His only fault was that he donned the uniform of a confederate soldier.

"But since you're here," Katherine finally looked away from her own reflection and towards Damon. "My corset strings seem to be knotted, I wonder if you can undo them?"

Damon's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't falter for a moment. "Of course."

Katherine stood and walked over to a taller mirror, Damon following behind her. She met his gaze in the reflection of the mirror. Damon reached out to gently push her curls away from her bare shoulder. The contact of his gentle caress against her skin radiated energy so powerful it almost felt electric. Katherine leaned back into his touch.

"Will you miss me while off defending the South?" She gazed at him, her lips so close he could feel her breath.

"I shall." Damon confirmed, smiling at the sight of Katherine in his arms in the mirror.

"Then I hope you will hurry back." Katherine spoke as Damon traced the hollows of her collarbone with his fingertips. "I fear I will be lonely with you away."

"I would think Stefan should be company enough." Damon replied. If the tone of his voice wasn't enough of a cue, the pit in his stomach indicated that he was jealous at the mention of Stefan.

Katherine snapped around to gaze directly at him. "Is it so wrong for me to want you both?"

Her brown doe eyes fell from his blue ones to gaze upon his lips, which she brought a fingertip to. She traced his lips with such tenderness that it soothed the jealousy in his heart.

"Promise me you will return quickly." She demanded.

"I promise." Damon confirmed.

* * *

When you're dreaming and I hold you

Remember that dream will come true

When you wake up and you need me

You'll know just what to do

Damon gazed upon Stefan and Katherine as the pair once again ran through the front lawn. Katherine squealed and giggled, her curls more wild than before. She let out a final laugh, as she touched a white statue at the edge of the lawn, only meters from where Damon was perched.

"I win, what's my prize?" Katherine stepped towards Stefan with a wicked grin, indicating just what she would like for her prize to be.

"What would you like it to be?" Damon interrupted the nearly intimate moment between his brother and Katherine.

Both of their heads turned towards Damon, their expressions indicating that they had no idea that he had been sitting there. Katherine's face broke into a smile, while Stefan's remained bewildered

"They extended your leave?" Stefan questioned.

"I was simply having too much fun to return to battle." Damon explained.

"Your commitment to the confederacy is inspiring." Stefan chuckled.

Damon stood up, and the brothers stepped towards each other, pulling one another into the hug. There was still warmth between them, still love.

"Well this works out wonderfully for me." Katherine stated, pulling the two brothers apart with her words.

"How is that, Miss Katherine?" Damon asked.

Katherine let out an innocent shrug. "Now I'll have both of you here to keep me entertained. First and foremost, I'll need someone to escort me to the Founder's Ball."

Katherine turned away immediately, knowing that she had just created a new battle with her words. Stefan and Damon simultaneously spoke their willingness to take Katherine to the ball, causing her to pause and look back at them with a satisfied smile. Damon glared at Stefan.

"The smart and kind Salvatore brothers both coming to my rescue," Katherine teased their eagerness. "How will I ever choose?"

* * *

A mixture of emotions battled within Damon as he watched a smartly dressed Stefan and an elegantly clothed Katherine doing some sort of waltz. She had chosen Stefan to escort her. There was a pit in his stomach, and a pull on his heart as he watched his brother dance with the girl that he was falling in love with, a betrayal from the two most important people in his life.

Later, Damon waited in Katherine's bedroom. He pressed his ear to the door as he heard two sets of footsteps approach the room.

"So I gather I'm wanted?" Katherine's muffled voice asked Stefan.

"Very much so." Stefan let out a nervous chuckle. "I know we've only known each other for a short while, and I know I'm in competition for your affections, but I've never met a woman quite like you. I look at you and I see . . . an angel. I touch your skin and my entire body ignites. I kiss you and I know that I'm falling in love."

Stefan's words were replaced with the unmistakable sound of lips locking. Damon's stomach was filled with nausea at the sound of the two of them. Katherine let out a gasp, breaking the kiss.

"I am in love with you." Stefan stated.

"There's just so much you don't know about me, Stefan." Katherine protested.

"More to learn and love." Stefan insisted.

"I must say goodnight." Katherine ignored his pleas.

"I've upset you?" Stefan inquired.

"No, you haven't upset me, you've just surprised me." Katherine's voice shook as she spoke. "Until tomorrow."

Damon caught Katherine as she retreated into her bedroom, wearing the same gown she had worn while dancing with Stefan. Damon wasted no time to hastily push her up against the door and kiss the lips that his brother had kissed just moments prior, once again marking his claim over them.

"What are you doing here?" She pushed Damon away.

"I told you I would come." Damon's voice wavered with confusion at her outburst.

"Well I'm tired. You should go." Katherine was curt with him.

Damon approached her again, bringing her hand to his lips. "Did my little brother's confession overwhelm you?'

Katherine pulled her hand away from his grasp. "You shouldn't eavesdrop."

"Is my love not enough?" Damon pried.

"I told you, I'm tired." Katherine stared into his eyes. "I wish to be alone tonight, please leave."

Despite every bone in his body craving the touch of the woman he loved, he agreed. "Goodnight, Katherine."

* * *

In the winter when it's raining

And the sun can never shine through

All those days of endless waiting

I'll be thinking of you

Damon was lying on the ground, watching Katherine run towards a carriage. It was nearly pitch black, her figure was only illuminated by the moonlight.

"Please help us." Katherine's cries were frantic. "Please, my husband, he's been hurt, please help him."

One man ran towards Damon, while another emerged from the carriage slowly, and addressed Katherine with a gruff voice. "Whadya doing out here in the middle of the night? It's not safe."

"No, no sir." Katherine agreed. "It's not safe."

The man's cries quickly tore his traveling partner's attention away from Damon. He stood up to aid his friend, but was cut off by Katherine, who had sunk her fangs into his neck as he gurgled in protest. She dropped the unconscious man to the ground, turning towards Damon with a blood-framed smile.

"And that's how it's done." She reached out to help Damon up from the ground.

"What happens to the bodies?" Damon questioned, stomach turning from the sight he had just witnessed.

"Well I'll take them into the woods and the other animals will finish them off." Katherine eyed Damon, who was shaking before her. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Damon nodded before finding his voice. "I'm ready, I want you to turn me."

"When it's time. Kiss me." Katherine stepped towards Damon, and pushed away the handkerchief that he had pulled out in response to her request. "You should get a taste."

Damon pulled away slightly as she leaned forward. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Katherine replied. "Soon you won't be able to get enough."

He eyed her for a moment, heart beating so loud that she must have been able to hear it. Then, something snapped inside of him. He grabbed the hair and the nape of her neck, and pulled her into a kiss, ravishing her blood stained lips. They tasted of warm iron, yet he no longer felt sick from the blood. Every bone in his body told him this was right. He wanted this. He wanted her. Forever.

* * *

The light of day illuminated Damon's bedroom, waking him up. Katherine had remained next to him while he slept, and he chose to wake her by wrapping his arms around her, tickling her sides. She let out one of her infectious laughs.

"What are you doing? Stop it." She demanded with a voice that let him know that she did not actually want him to stop.

"Make me." Damon teased.

Katherine grabbed him with sudden vampire strength, taking advantage of the moment where she overpowered him by straddling his chest. She pinned his arms to his side and hissed, fangs bared at him. His heart skipped a beat for a moment, and then resumed at its normal pace. He simply gazed at her vampiric face with wonder. She smiled as he traced the veins under her eyes with the pad of his thumb.

Katherine's face returned to normal as a knock sounded on the door. "Yes?"

"Excuse me, Miss Katherine." A young woman entered the room. "Miss Pearl is here to see you."

"I'll be down soon, please ask her to wait. Thank you Emily." Katherine returned her gaze to Damon, running her hands over his bare chest. She pouted as Emily shut the door. "Fun's over."

"I know." Damon said, as she lowered her face to kiss him with a shocking tenderness for the monster.

* * *

When thunder breaks the dawn

When all my strength is gone

When shadows disappear

I'll still be holding on

Once again, Damon was in the dark forest. This time, there was no moon, and a torch that he carried illuminated the scene. Katherine was a few paces ahead of him, and despite his athletic build, he was no match for her vampiric speed.

"Wait for me, I want to come with you." Damon called out. "Why must you always run for me?"

Katherine stopped, leaning against a tree. "Because I know that you will chase."

"Then let me chase you forever." Damon was breathless as he cupped Katherine's face. "Feed me your blood."

"I will not feed you, Damon." Katherine denied him, pulling a needle from her hair. "If you want it, take it. It is your choice to make."

"You will not tell my brother?" Damon hesitated.

"I promise." Katherine whispered. "It will be our little secret."

Damon gazed upon her neck, before grabbing her hand and piercing her vein with the needle. She let out a small gasp at the moment of pain, and he brought his lips to the wound. Slowly, he sucked on the small hole that he had made, relishing in the taste of her blood. It had the same taste of the blood of a human, without carrying the guilt of a life lost. And then the taste was gone. He pulled away to see that the wound had closed, leaving behind smooth skin. His hand traced along her neck as he met her eyes, neither of them able to speak on the moment they had just shared.

* * *

Damon and Stefan's father, Giuseppe, had rounded the two boys up to speak with them. He said it was an urgent matter to do with the town council.

"As descendants of the founding families, they'll want to know that they can count on you." He spoke to the two boys as they strolled across their expansive property.

"Of course they can." Stefan confirmed. "Is there any doubt?"

"I'm not sure your brother Damon understands the importance of duty." Giuseppe looked at Damon with stony disappointment.

"Damon left the confederacy on principle." Stefan was quick to defend his brother. "It was his choice, and should be respected."

"You'll forgive me if I have troubled respecting a deserter." Their father replied.

Damon chose to interject. "Well I never asked for your respect."

"Good for you Damon," Giuseppe raised his voice. "Because all I have is disappointment."

Damon's eyes were locked with his father's in a stare down. Though his icy blue gaze never faltered, inside Damon had a gnawing inside of his stomach, a yearning for his father's approval.

Stefan made an effort to diffuse the tension. "You said the town is in trouble?"

"There have been too many deaths." Giuseppe confirmed. "It is time for us to fight back and stop these killers."

"Killers?" Stefan questioned. "What are you talking about?"

"We live amongst demons." Giuseppe spoke gravely.

"You're being cryptic now father." Damon's eyes narrowed. "Why don't you just say the word."

"Vampires." Giuseppe confirmed. "They exist. And they live amongst us. But we have a plan to kill them. And you're going to help us."

The boys nodded, exchanging an understanding glance with one another. Their father left them, not knowing that he had just posed a threat to their mutual lover.

Later, the two boys found Katherine playing croquet on the lawn with their father. The two looked as happy as could be, blissfully unaware that they were actually sworn enemies.

"I'm losing over here, again!" Their father playfully called out, a complete mood shift from his previous conversation with the boys.

Katherine let out a giggle and curtsied, a motion that looked so natural to her in her pink and blue dress.

"She's good." Damon noted to Stefan. "I almost believe she genuinely likes him."

"Perhaps she does." Countered Stefan.

Damon scoffed. "She knows father would have her killed if he knew the truth."

"Not if we talked to him, explain how we feel." Stefan suggested. "He could help us keep her safe."

"Have you gone mad?" Damon hissed. "No, father would drive the stake in her himself!"

"That's not true, we can trust him." Stefan tried to reason.

"No, not with this." Damon cut him off. "Please, promise me you won't tell him Stefan."

Stefan looked over at Katherine, who could no doubt hear their conversation with her vampire hearing. "I promise."

* * *

When then sun sets on the ocean

When the yellow touches the blue

When your heart begins to open

I'll be so close to you

Damon and Katherine stood in a storefront, and though Katherine's arm was looped through his, Damon was considerably tense. Before them stood the shop owner, Miss Pearl. She had an elegance about her that was even greater than Katherine's.

"The Sheriff was here again." Pearl informed the pair. "He bought large volumes of the vervain elixir."

"Did he try to put his hands on you again?" Katherine teased, making it clear that these two were friends.

Pearl smirked. "Doesn't he always?"

"She's saving herself for Jonathan Gilbert." Katherine explained to Damon.

"I am beyond saving, we know that." Pearl and Katherine both burst into giggles.

"How can you be so calm?" Damon interjected. "They're getting closer to you every day."

"We're the respectable ladies of Mystic Falls." Katherine turned to Damon. "Thanks to Emily, we walk the streets in daylight. No one will ever suspect us."

"Not unless a human tells them." Pearl eyed Damon suspiciously.

"I'd sooner die." Damon insisted.

"And soon enough, you will." Katherine planted a promising kiss upon Damon's lips, easing his tension, only tearing away when Miss Pearl's daughter, Annabelle interrupted them.

* * *

Damon was reading by candlelight when he was interrupted by Stefan's frantic footsteps entering his bedroom without knocking.

"Brother please," Stefan was out of breath. "It's Katherine. Father knows. They're taking her away."

"What did you do?" Damon stared at his brother. "Stefan, WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"I didn't mean to . . . I just thought . . . maybe he'd spare her." Stefan hung his head.

In an instant, Damon was on his feet and running downstairs to his father's study. The adrenaline coursing through his still human veins made his fingertips go numb. Katherine was unconscious, some sort of muzzle covered her face, and two men from the Founder's Council were picking up her delicate body.

"NO! DON'T TAKE HER!" Damon shouted at the men.

Giuseppe pushed Damon against the wall as he bellowed at him. "Do you know what they'll do to you if you are branded a sympathizer? You'll be killed along with them."

"Then let me be killed, father." Damon snarled.

"You fool." His father spat at him. "You disgrace me, you and your brother."

His father tightened his grasp on Damon's throat until it was so firm that Damon could hardly breathe. With one last sneer, he threw Damon onto the floor, not even sparing him a glance as he exited the room. Within moments, Stefan emerged from the hallway, offering Damon a hand. Damon pushed Stefan's hand away, getting up and running out of the house. Stefan followed him out of the house, where the men were putting Katherine into a carriage.

"Damon. Damon. Stop. STOP." Stefan restrained his brother. "I'll help you. We'll get her back."

"Help me? Don't you think that you've done enough?" Damon sneered. "You promised you wouldn't tell anyone."

"I didn't think this would happen." Stefan loosened his grip on Damon's shoulders.

Both heads turned as the men shut the carriage door and locked Katherine inside. The horses pulled the carriage away, carrying Katherine away from the brothers.

"You did this." Damon told Stefan. "This is your fault."

"We will get her back." Stefan repeated.

Damon caught sight of Emily Bennett, standing behind a tree so that she would be obscured from the councilmen. Knowing her powers, he bolted over to her.

"Emily please." He cried. "I'll do anything. Name your price. Just protect her."

Stefan ran up behind Damon, grabbing his arm. "Damon, we have to go. Now."

With one last glance into Emily's vacant eyes, Damon turned to follow his brother after the carriage. As the carriage stopped, Stefan pulled Damon into the tree line, where they crouched, observing the councilmen shove a muzzle onto another person- a vampire- and lock them in the carriage.

"We have to get to the church, they're waiting." John Gilbert instructed the group.

"Circle around that way, I'll distract them." Stefan instructed Damon, who was so dizzy with fear that he couldn't form a coherent thought. "GO."

Stefan ran a few paces in front of the carriage. "OVER HERE. There's another one, quick! Help me!"

The men followed Stefan into the trees, leaving just one man to guard the carriage. Damon stealthily approached him, and punched him as hard as he could, knocking the man unconscious. As Damon fumbled for the keys in the man's pocket, Stefan ran back out of the forest.

"We don't have long." Stefan gasped.

Damon opened the carriage. "Katherine. KATHERINE."

Katherine's eyes lolled at the sound of his voice. She let out a small whimper, unable to keep her eyes open. Stefan and Damon pulled her out of the carriage, laying her on the ground as gently as they could. Damon pulled the muzzle off of her face as Stefan tried to undo the ropes that bound her wrists.

"We're going to get you out of here." Damon promised her.

"Damon hurry." Stefan urged, as the voices of the men became clear from the trees. "HURRY."

A gunshot fired just as they pulled the ropes. The pain was immediate, and white-hot. Damon collapsed on the ground next to his barely conscious lover as his stomach bled.

"NO." Stefan called out as Damon fell. "No."

The last thing Damon saw before his vision went black was Stefan leaning over him, tears of desperation forming in his eyes.

* * *

When you're dreaming and I hold you

Remember that dream will come true

When you wake up and you need me

You'll know just what to do

When Damon woke, Stefan's lifeless body was laid next to him, blood pooled on his shirt. The carriage was gone. Damon's entire body ached, but the pain was overpowered by one thought: Katherine. She was gone. The church- they took her to the church. He had to find her.

Damon struggled to pull himself to his feet. He spared one last glance to his brother, still lying in the road. Despite Stefan admitting that he had betrayed Katherine and thus Damon to their father, Damon's heart broke at the sight of his little brother's lifeless body.

"I'll save her, brother. You won't have died for nothing." Damon whispered.

Damon struggled to make it down the road. With each step, his muscles protested, begging him to lie down. The night sounds of the forest overwhelmed him. Every rustle of a tree branch echoed like thunder in his mind. He could barely maintain his focus, but he had to. Had to focus on Katherine.

As he approached the church, he ducked into the trees so that no one would see him. He squinted, trying to gain his bearings. Two men carried a Katherine's body into the church. They slid a tree branch into the door handles as soon as they emerged. One of the men carrying torches touched the torch to the door, and immediately the church went ablaze. They must have doused it in gasoline.

Damon tried to cry out, but his voice failed him. His throat was too dry to form a single sound. In that moment, the aching in his body won, and he collapsed to the ground. The only thing that had kept him going was Katherine, and she was gone. Though she could have lived forever, she would not survive the flames that were devouring the church.

"You must come with me." Damon's head turned to follow the voice in his ear, and he saw that Emily Bennett was standing behind him. "They saw you die. You can't be seen here."

Damon looked up at her, confusion etched on his face. "Saw me die? But I'm not . . ."

His hands traveled to his stomach, as the memory of the gunshot resurfaced in his jumbled mind. There was blood crusted on his shirt, and a tear where the bullet had gone through, but the skin was smooth. There was no wound.

"I'm not dead." Damon echoed as the realization dawned on him. "Katherine's blood. I'm . . . No. NO. Stefan?"

"Will wake soon," Emily confirmed. "In transition, like you."

"I don't want this." Damon shook his head. "I only wanted this because of her. I only wanted forever with her."

"It won't matter what you want if the council finds you here, breathing." Emily stated. "Come. Now."

In a trance, Damon took Emily's outstretched hand, and followed her through the woods and out of town. She stopped by the quarry, where by the water already laid Stefan, still unconscious. Reaching into her pocket, she handed Damon a ring.

"Katherine had me make this for you. For both of you." She explained.

Damon nodded, wordlessly sliding the ring onto his finger. His heart was broken, it made his stomach churn with such ferocity that he could barely stand. Not wanting to converse with the witch, he stumbled towards the edge of the water, where he finally collapsed. He stayed fixating on the small ripples at the surface well past the sunrise. Eventually, Stefan woke, and came to join his brother by the water.

"I woke up last night, I didn't know where I was." Damon spoke without looking at Stefan. "I went to the church. And I watched them drag her inside. Then they set fire to it. And the whole church went up into flames. They killed her, Stefan. She's gone."

Stefan pressed his lips together; there was nothing the boy could say to ease his brother's pain, a pain that he also shared. Looking down, Stefan noted the bloodstain on his shirt. The stained and tattered clothes were the only things the boys had, and they needed to clean up so as not to draw attention to them. Rather than stay and face the shame of what he had done, Stefan went to find things to clean their shirts with.

"I bet Jonathan Gilbert has told father by now." Stefan tried to distract his brother as he re-approached him. "I wonder how he took the news that we're dead."

"As if he cares. He betrayed us." Damon replied.

"He thought he was protecting us, Damon." Stefan defended their father. "He thought he was protecting this town."

"God, this sun hurts my eyes." Damon changed the topic.

"It's part of it." Stefan explained. "The muscle aches, the sick feeling, Emily says it's our bodies pushing us to feed, to complete the transition."

Damon turned away. "That's not gonna happen."

"Is that your choice then? To die instead?" Stefan asked.

"Isn't it yours?" Damon countered. "This was all to be with Katherine. But she's gone. I want it over."

* * *

In the winter when it's raining

And the sun can never shine through

When your heart begins to open

When your heart begins to open

When your heart begins to open

Stefan had left Damon, who was unable to be moved, by the quarry. When Stefan returned at nightfall, Damon was still sitting in the same position as when he had left hours prior. Damon's vacant stare was haunting. Without Katherine, he truly wanted to die.

Damon's head turned as he heard his brother's footsteps. It was the greatest motion he had made in the past few hours, and it was excruciating. His body didn't agree with his choice to die; it wanted him to feed and it was punishing him for not doing so. Damon's eyes narrowed when he saw that his brother was pushing a young brunette woman towards him.

"What are you doing? Who is that?" Damon demanded to know.

"I brought her for you. She's a gift. Have a seat please." Stefan instructed.

Damon's eyes widened. "What have you done Stefan?"

"Damon, I've been to see father. He came at me. I didn't know my own strength. There was blood everywhere. He was dying, and the blood was too strong. I needed it. I had to have it." Stefan rambled.

"You fed." Damon stated.

"Yes. And it's incredible. My body is exploding with power Damon." Stefan admitted.

Damon shook his head. "No."

"I can hear things from far away. I can see through the darkness. I can move like it's magic. And the guilt? The pain? Damon, I can turn it off like a switch. Katherine was right, there's a whole other world out there Damon." Stefan's euphoria was apparent in his crazed voice.

"Katherine is dead, Stefan. There is no world without her." Damon spat out grimly as he walked away from Stefan.

"No, you can turn that off too, you don't have to feel that pain anymore." Stefan insisted.

"I don't want it." Damon refused.

Stefan clutched at Damon's throat, desperate for his attention. "You're weak, you'll be dead soon. You need this."

"No." Damon choked.

"You'll die." Stefan pleaded.

"No, I can't." Damon protested as Stefan beckoned the girl forward. "Please."

Stefan's fangs jutted out, and he bit into the girl's neck, leaving two bloody holes that beckoned to Damon's senses. "I won't let you die."

"No, I can't." Damon tried to resist, but the smell of the blood was already overwhelming his senses.

Stefan grasped Damon's face. "Don't fight it. We can do this. Together.

Stefan pushed the girl closer to Damon. Try as he might, Damon could not tear his eyes from the two red beads running down the girl's neck. He had to have a taste. Just one taste.

Damon was so transfixed, he hardly noticed Stefan's hand guiding him towards the girl's neck. Before he knew it, his mouth was on her puncture wound, relishing in the taste of her blood. The taste was unlike anything he had ever experienced while human. There was no guilt, no disgust, just pure satisfaction.

As soon as he drank, the physical pain disappeared. His muscles were soothed, the pounding in his head was gone. Best of all, his senses were so heightened he could make out every tree branch despite it being pitch black. Upon realizing how good drinking blood felt, Damon grabbed the girl and ran a few yards away behind the dilapidated shelter by the quarry, his own speed shocking him. He drank until he felt the life drain from the girl, and dropped her on the ground.

Stepping back, he realized what he had done. The emotions hit him. He had just been damned to an eternity of life without Katherine. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. He couldn't live without her. But now he had no choice. Thanks to his brother, he couldn't resist transitioning. At the thought of Stefan, Damon emerged from behind the shelter, locking eyes with his brother.

"How do you feel?" Stefan inquired.

"You were right, it is a whole new world." Damon replied with a chipper tone in his voice.

Stefan's face broke into a relaxed grin. "We can explore it together."

"You got what you wanted, you and me, for all eternity." Damon's face shifted to a deadpan as he spat out the last sentence. "But here it is, brother; I will make it an eternity of misery for you."

"Damon!"

Damon ignored his brother calling after him. There was no sight he would rather see less than Stefan's face right now. Katherine had turned them both. It wasn't just him. She didn't love just him. Lost in thought, Damon ran directly into Emily.

"Hello Emily." Damon's face formed a sardonic smile.

"You transitioned." Emily noted, the judgment slipping through her voice.

"You're observant." Damon replied.

"I did what you asked." Emily revealed. "I saved Katherine. She's in the tomb under the church, I sealed it to protect her from the fire."

Damon felt as if the air had been restored to his lungs. "Katherine's okay?"

"Not just Katherine." Emily said. "To save one, I had to save them all."

"Well why are we standing here? Let's go get her." Damon turned to run back to town.

Emily grabbed his arm to harness his attention. "You must understand, a spell that powerful requires great energy. I was able to protect her because of the comet. But I won't be able to break the seal until there is another mystical event that I can channel."

Damon let out an unnerving chuckle. "Who cares? What are a few years when I have eternity? Emily Bennett, you have just made all of this okay."

"Listen to me, Damon." Tears were forming in Emily's eyes. "They know what I am. They'll be coming for me next. I won't be here much longer. But I will help you from the other side, if you promise me one thing."

"Anything." Damon said.

"Leave Mystic Falls. They saw you killed; you can't be seen here. Don't try to save me, you'll only reveal yourself. When the men who know your face have died, return to Mystic Falls. Ensure that no harm ever comes to a Bennett witch. Promise me, Damon." Though Emily cried, her voice showed no fear.

"I promise."

* * *

I'll be thinking of you


	16. Chapter 16 - In Line

_Song: In Line_

_Artist: Robert Skoro_

_Your address hangs on my wall_

_And I've got nothing at all_

_To remember you by_

_But I've been waiting for days on end_

_For you to call_

_And I never got to say good-bye_

_To you, my friend_

_And I swear that I can feel you_

_Creeping underneath my skin_

_And it feels like Heaven to me, sometimes_

_But I don't understand_

_Why you just can't let me in_

_And I close my eyes and just let it all fall in line_

When Damon pulled his hands away from my forehead, I realized that my face was wet with tears. Everything that he showed me was so vivid. It felt _real_. Well, it was real. But it felt real to me.

"What was that?" I could barely manage to whisper. "I felt everything. It was like . . . it was like . . ."

"Like you were me, feeling it for the first time?" Damon filled in for me.

I nodded. "Exactly."

"Perks of vampirism." Damon said dryly. "It's all part of the compulsion."

"You never wanted to be a vampire." I stated.

"I never wanted to be a vampire without _Katherine_." Damon corrected me.

"You said I look like her." I remembered our conversation in his bathroom. "But she's practically Elena's twin. What is that?"

"You do look like her." Damon insisted. "In case you haven't noticed, you look like Elena. As for them being carbon copies of each other? I don't know. Some weird blip in their genetic lineage I guess."

"Elena was adopted, we aren't actually related." I felt like I had explained this to so many people that I should just get a forehead tattoo that says _No Elena and I don't share any DNA, are we really the first pair of five-foot-seven girls with brown hair and brown eyes that you've ever seen in your life?_

"I'm just stating the facts." Damon noticed the edge to my voice. "Thank god the resemblance only extends to appearance and neither of you have Katherine's personality."

"Katherine." I refocused to the woman who was the center of all of Damon's memories. "Emily saved her. She sealed her in the tomb. What happened?"

"Emily was burned with all the other witches in town. She saved Katherine but she couldn't save herself. Or maybe she didn't even try." Damon's voice wavered ever so slightly. "I waited a hundred and forty five years to put together the pieces to open that damn tomb, and Katherine wasn't there. Made a deal with one of the guards to let her go free."

"Where is she now?" I was almost afraid to ask.

"Who the hell knows?" He retorted. "She never came to find me and Stefan. Last time anyone I knew saw her was Chicago in the friggin' eighties. She could be anywhere."

I started to piece together what little information I knew in my mind. "The night I met you . . . you were heartbroken."

"We had just opened the tomb." Damon confirmed.

I reached for his arm. "I'm so sorry, Damon."

"What for?" Damon shrugged. "It's not like I spent the last century and a half waiting for her, thinking she loved me. Hell, the only reason I even came back to this town was for her."

I recoiled at the bitterness in his words, not that I could blame him. "Why are you still here, then?"

He stared at me with vacant eyes and spoke with the voice of a haunted man. "Where else would I go?"

All I could do was stare back into his cold blue eyes. There was no way for me to respond to that question. In the past twenty-four hours everything I knew, everything I believed, had been turned upside down. What could I, a naïve seventeen year old, say to alleviate the centuries old pain of this man frozen eternally in his youth?

Damon cleared his throat, and some of the light returned to his eyes. "That's enough of that. I need a drink, and _you_ need to get some sleep. It's been a long day for you."

_That_ was the understatement of the century. Taking a step away from me, Damon gestured towards his bed, instructing me to go lie down. My eyes darted towards the door. For the first time since I laid eyes on Katherine's photo, I thought of Stefan waiting just two floors beneath me. At the thought of him, my hand instantly jolted to my neck, where his teeth had sunk in just hours earlier. I tried to play it off like I was just brushing hair off my shoulder.

"Can't I go home now?" I asked, my voice sounding more pathetic than I intended for it too.

"Absolutely not." Damon's eyes narrowed. "Besides, you already told your parents you were sleeping at Elena's. Well I did, from your phone. But same result."

I crossed my arms. "Why not?"

Did he really not trust me to keep his secret? He couldn't keep me here forever, he'd have to either trust me eventually or . . . compel away my memory. The thought nearly sent a chill down my spine. I couldn't go back into the world not knowing what I know now. But I didn't really have a choice. Without my necklace, I was putty in the hands of a vampire.

"I fed you my blood, remember?" Damon replied. "If you die with vampire blood in your system, you'll turn into one. Can't have you turning into a deranged baby vamp like druggie Donovan did. I have to keep an eye on you 'til it's out of your system, and since I also have to keep an eye on Stefan, who's residence in the dungeon, it is non negotiable, you're stuck here."

The smirk on his face as he ended his explanation irritated me. He looked so pleased with himself. He probably was pleased that he had an excuse to hold me hostage and make sure I didn't go telling anyone about vampires. Not that anyone would believe me. He casually sauntered over to the fireplace, where a decanter of amber liquid was conveniently propped on the mantle, and poured himself a glass.

"And how long will that take?" I inquired.

He took a long sip from the glass, taking the time to let out a satisfied sigh at the taste before turning back to me. "About twenty four hours give or take."

I huffed, sitting down on his bed in exasperation. Twenty-four hours stuck in a house with a vampire who had tried to kill me, a biological cousin who lied to me, and another vampire who was nursing the heartbreak of multiple lifetimes. Sounds fun.

"Why do you want to go home anyways? It's the middle of the night." Damon's lips formed a faux pout. "Sick of me already?"

I tried to glare at him for the mockery, but I could tell my expression was not quite convincing. "Stefan hasn't been invited into my house."

"You're worried about Stefan?" Damon let out a laugh. He actually laughed at me. "He's got vervain coursing through his veins, and even if he didn't he's locked up with an iron bolt that even vampire strength can't crush. Besides, Elena will probably be sleeping on the ground outside his cell just for the Romeo and Juliet of it all, so even if he did get out, he'll tear through her throat first."

"Excuse me for being afraid of the person who tried to _kill me_." God, everyone was treating this whole thing so casually it's as if it was just the third attempted murder on their schedule for the week. Then again, for all I knew it could be.

"Come on, do you really think that your blood is so delicious that Stefan's just lying in the cell, plotting a way to get out so he can make a beeline for your throat and get another taste?" His face formed a lopsided smile at the thought. "Don't be so narcissistic."

"It's not _funny_, Damon." I wrapped my arms around myself, just wanting the comfort of my own home.

Damon's gaze softened. "You're really scared of him, aren't you? Right. What if I stayed here while you slept, would that make you feel better? If hell freezes over and Stefan does get out, he'll have to get through me first."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I was just going to go sit downstairs and play good cop bad cop with Elena. Sleep wasn't really on the schedule anyways. You'd be giving me an excuse to avoid whatever emotional crap is probably going on between the two of them right now."

I nodded, my exhaustion contributing to my resignation. I pulled the covers back, and tucked myself into Damon's bed, his gaze never leaving me the entire time. Had my mind not been so frazzled, I probably would have focused on the fact that I was in his bed for more than half a second.

Despite my head resting on the pillow, I couldn't bring myself to shut my eyes. I couldn't quite allow myself to surrender to the idea of drifting into sleep with Stefan downstairs. I just studied Damon's face, thinking about everything he had shared with me today. He was so much more complicated than the pure evil that Elena made him out to be.

My gaze on him never faltered, and neither did his on mine. Normally the intensity of a stare like the one on his face would make me stir, but I found comfort in the beauty of his eyes. He took another sip of his drink before walking over to the edge of the bed. Studying my face, he reached out with his free hand to tuck a strand of still wet hair behind my ear before lingering at the nape of my neck.

"Thank you." I whispered.

He cocked his head. "For what?"

"For saving me." I replied. "You're always saving me."

He ran his thumb up and down my cheek. "Go to sleep. You'll be okay."

I didn't realize it was a command until my eyes shut and I lost awareness of the gentle warmth of his hand on my skin.

_His touch was so comforting that my mind quickly found it again in my dreams. Letting the comfort of sleep engulf me, I kept my eyes closed and relished in his touch._

"_Damon." I murmured. "You really stayed here all night?"_

"_Damon's gone."_

_I snapped my eyes open at the sound of the menacing voice. "Stefan."_

"Stefan_." His tone mocked mine. "You knew I'd come back for you. We have unfinished business." _

_My heart raced, and I knew it wouldn't go unnoticed by him. His hand had traveled from my face to my neck, and he surely could feel my pulse through my jugular vein. The door opened, and both Stefan and I's attention gravitated towards Damon as he walked in. Damon. He was okay. Stefan hadn't hurt him._

"_Stefan," Damon frowned, his tone condescending. "It's time for you to go. You're disturbing Lucy."_

_I sat up and mentally prepared myself for a fight to break out between the two of them. Instead, Stefan simply got up, and left the room, giving a curt nod to his brother. Damon walked over to me and held out his hand._

"_Come now." He instructed. "Elena's waiting for you downstairs. I believe you two have plans today."_

_I took his hand, and allowed him to lead me down the stairs of his home. Without him, I surely would have gotten lost. He brought me to the kitchen, where I saw Elena talking to a familiar figure. Even from behind, I would recognize that sandy blonde head of hair anywhere._

"_BRANDON!" I called out, letting go of Damon's hand to tackle him with a hug. "What are you doing here?"_

_Brandon let out a laugh at my enthusiasm. "You didn't think I'd miss out on a chance to meet our cousin, did you?"_

* * *

_And we could wait a while_

_Let everything have it's way_

_Crack a secret, subtle smile_

_And everything will be OK_

_But I promise you that I won't leave you here_

_I couldn't do that to myself_

_And not again, not with you, my friend_

_And I swear that I can feel you_

_Creeping underneath my skin_

_And it feels like Heaven to me, sometimes_

_But I don't understand_

_Why you just can't let me in_

_And I close my eyes and just let it all fall in line_

When I woke, I was disappointed to realize that it was just a dream. I would give anything to hug Brandon again for real. At least since it was just a dream that meant Stefan wasn't actually out. Hopefully. Damon was gone, so I couldn't be certain.

I must have slept for a while, as my hair was finally dry and light was streaming in through the windows. Half expecting to find Damon on the floor with a stake in his chest or whatever the hell you actually use to kill a vampire, I cautiously stepped out of bed and into the hallway. I exhaled when I realized there was no Stefan waiting around the corner.

Somehow I actually managed to find my way to the kitchen without getting lost. Admittedly, as soon as I reached the end of the hallway my nose found the scent of coffee, which guided me. Unfortunately, there was no Brandon waiting for me in the kitchen. There was no Elena either; only Damon, who had swapped the glass of whiskey I had last seen him with for a cup of coffee.

"Good morning." His voice was uncharacteristically upbeat. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah I did." I was still dazed from my dream.

"Any nightmares?" Damon smirked.

"No. Well almost, but . . ." I trailed off, taking in the proud expression on his face. "Wait a second, you didn't . . . do your _mind thing_ on me while I was sleeping, did you?"

"You're welcome." He replied, nonchalantly sipping his coffee.

I stared at him in shock. It wasn't the fact that he had entered my mind that had me quite unnerved, it was more what he had done while he was inside of it. Brandon was in my dreams. Even if Elena told him I had a brother, which I highly doubted, there was no way he could have known what Brandon looked like.

"Oh relax," Damon noted my wide eyes. "I simply noticed you were having a nightmare and instructed your mind to forget about Stefan while you slept. Anything that came after that was all you. I promise you I had nothing to do with the _super hot_ dream you clearly had about me."

"Oh shut up." I snapped at him, but let out the breath I had been holding. "I need coffee."

Damon gestured towards the coffee pot. Truthfully, I was thankful that he had gotten rid of the evil Stefan of my nightmares. I leaned against the counter as I sipped my coffee, the bemused expression never leaving Damon's face. I took in his appearance as I eyed him in return.

He was wearing a thick navy sweater, making him look more relaxed than his usual pseudo-biker get up. He always looked handsome, but today's look gave him an air of boyish charm that he normally didn't have about him. That combined with how personal he had gotten with me last night, I actually felt quite . . . comfortable around him.

It felt ridiculous, really, to be comfortable around a vampire. He had killed people, for Christ's sake. He admitted as such. And yet, I was at ease. If anything, I felt safe. On more than one occasion now, he had been there to rescue me when I needed it. Last night he had quite literally saved my life.

"Penny for your thoughts." Damon finally broke the silence.

My face flushed as I struggled to come up with an answer for him. "Um, where's Elena?"

He snickered. "Why, avoiding her?"

As if on cue, Elena entered the kitchen, her face morose. She looked at me and froze in place, her doe eyes giving her a quite literal deer in the headlights look. I couldn't bring myself to relieve her of the duty of being the first to speak, so I just returned her stare as I sipped my coffee.

"Uh oh, cat fight." Damon's voice sang out. "I'm out of here."

He hummed as he sauntered across the kitchen, stopping when he reached the entryway that Elena was still standing in. Pivoting to face me, he brought his hand to his brow in a salute. He mouthed _Good Luck_ before winking at me, and turning back to Elena to shoot her one of his signature not-so-innocent smirks. I had to bring my hand to my mouth to stifle the laugh that was surfacing due to his actions. Thankfully, Elena was too busy glaring at Damon, mouth agape, to notice my amusement.

"What was that?" She snapped after he finished exiting the room.

"What was what?" I bit my lip to force the smile off of my face.

She imitated his salute before rolling her eyes. "What, are you two friends now?"

"We've _been _friends." It was a half-truth. We'd been acquaintances, at least.

"Well you should be careful who you befriend." She warned.

"Says the friend who's been lying to me." I shot back at her.

"Well now you know the truth." She crossed her arms. "And I would think that would be more than enough for you to not want to be friends with Damon."

I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You are literally_._ Dating. A vampire."

Well, last time I checked she was. Who knew if the whole draining my blood and almost ending my life thing put a damper in their relationship or not.

"That's different!" Elena tried to defend herself.

She didn't deny it. Thanks for the backup, Elena. Some cousin you are.

"Stop being such a damn hypocrite Elena!" I raised my voice at her. "Damon may have changed your birth mother and Matt's sister, but Stefan is no saint. That was definitely made clear when he almost _killed me_ last night."

"But-"

"I'm not finished." I cut her off. "No. I got hurt in the woods and Damon took care of me. Stefan attacked me, and who was there to keep me from bleeding to death? _Damon_. I've been alone with him numerous times, and I have never, _ever_ felt unsafe with him. I trust him. Stop trying to only see the bad in him. And don't go all 'but Lucy, he's killed people' on me, because _so has Stefan_. Don't try and tell me he hasn't. And you still love him. So I can be friends with Damon if I want to be."

It felt like I had been fighting with Elena for weeks, even though I had barely even known her that long. It didn't make sense that I was defending Damon to her. Since she's my cousin, I should take her side. But it didn't feel like she was on my side. It just felt like she was trying to control me.

"You're right." Elena admitted, causing me to damn near choke on my coffee. "I'm with Stefan. That's my choice. And if you want to . . . get to know Damon, that's yours."

"You do still love him, don't you." It was more of a statement than a question.

"I do." She hung her head. "Lucy, I'm sorry. I know he hurt you yesterday. Bad. But I swear to you what you saw, that's not him. He doesn't drink human blood, like at all. He normally survives on animal blood, even though it makes him weaker. It's like he's an alcoholic, but with human blood. Once he's had it . . ."

"It's all he can think about." That much I could observe. "So what happened? You said you gave him some of your blood, did you not know?"

Elena sighed. "Do you remember the day that I couldn't find Stefan?"

That was the day I found Matt's sister. "How could I forget?"

"Well I lied." Shocker. "He wasn't at a friend's. He was hurt, badly. And he couldn't heal like a vampire normally would, because the animal blood keeps him weak. Seeing him like that . . . I was so scared. So I gave him my blood. We kept an eye on him, and we really thought he was okay. By the time Damon realized he was stealing blood bags to stockpile . . ."

Elena choked back a sob. As much as I hated to admit it, it all made sense. If Stefan only drank animal blood, he posed no threat to me. I had already witnessed firsthand that Damon was able to resist my blood when I cut my hand in the woods. For all she had known, I was safe, and there was no need for me to know about them. It was a bit difficult to wrap my head around as it was; I probably would have thought she was a cuckoo bananas Twilight fan if she had told me her boyfriend was a vampire with no context.

I really had chosen being mad at Elena as my hill to die on, but looking at her right now that didn't feel like the right choice. Before I could stop my feet, I was marching over to Elena to give her a hug. I don't know why I couldn't stay mad at her. Chalk it up to cousin bond, or something.

Elena smiled as she pulled back from my hug. "Friends?"

"Friends don't lie to each other." I said.

"No more lies." She held out her pinky. "Pinky promise."

I latched my pinky on my non-coffee hand with hers, and she let out a giggle. "Come on, let's go find Damon. I'm sure he's eavesdropping anyways."

She grabbed my hand and led me through the house. We found Damon in the entryway parlor, fiddling with something that I couldn't quite see.

"And the Treaty of Versailles is signed." He hummed, back still turned to us.

Elena let out an exasperated sigh, choosing not to verbally acknowledge his statement. "Did you ever figure out what that is?"

"Nope. Whatever it is, it doesn't work." Damon said.

"Pearl didn't say anything else about it?" Elena asked as she began to rummage through her duffle bag that she had left on one of the sofas.

"She thought she was stealing his vampire compass, but it was a pocket watch." He inhaled sharply and shook his head. "That Jonathan Gilbert was a crazy scientist."

"Vampire compass?" I asked, stepping closer to take a look at what Damon was holding.

"Good old Jonathan invented a compass that points in the direction of vampires." Damon explained. "Though I guess I can't hate him too much for it, it did prove semi-useful to us at one point."

"That sounds fake." Said the girl having a conversation with a vampire. " Jonathan Gilbert as in . . ."

"Your dad?" Damon filled in. "No. This is ancestor Jonathan Gilbert. I've had the displeasure of knowing both, and I'm happy to say that they are each complete jackasses in their own unique way. Speaking of, however, Elena, have you spoken to your Uncle lately?"

Elena rolled her eyes as she folded a pair of jeans. "I've been avoiding him, actually. That, and I've been here most nights."

"So you'll be here again tonight?" Damon asked.

"Is that a problem?" Elena countered.

"Yes. You're a complete nuisance." His tone was teasing, but he looked at me and ran a finger across his throat, causing me to have to stifle another laugh.

"Whatever." Elena let out a small laugh. "I'm out of clothes, I need to run home."

"Great!" I enthusiastically stepped over to her. "You can drive me home."

Within a second, Damon was right in front of me, blocking my path. Even though he had just been behind me. Vampire speed, right. He was clearly enjoying not having to act human in front of me anymore.

"Not so fast." He held up a finger. "Vampire blood, remember?"

"Oh please, we'll go straight to my house, and I'll stay there for the rest of the day. What could go wrong?" I smiled at him sweetly.

"Spoken like someone who's never been in a car with Elena driving. You're. Staying." He stared me down, but I wasn't overcome with the decision to stay. He wasn't compelling me, just trying to intimidate me.

"You can't control people, Damon." Elena threw her bag over her shoulder.

"_You can't control people._" Damon mimicked her. "Great advice, Elena. I'll start following it when you do. Deal?"

"That's not fair." Elena protested.

"No, not fair will be me having to keep baby vamp under control while also dealing with my ripper brother, which will be what happens if something happens to Lucy." Damon slid his arm around me and squeezed my shoulder.

Elena sighed. "I'll get you some extra clothes, Lucy. Damon, don't . . . be Damon, while I'm gone. I'll see you guys later."

I waited for Elena to shut the door before ducking out of Damon's grasp and plopping down on one of the sofas. I expected a scolding for putting my feet on the armrest, but Damon just looked at me with a curious expression.

"What?" I asked.

"Thank you." He said.

"You're welcome, normally I charge for my presence on a living room sofa, but since you saved my life I'll stay here for free." I stretched out. "Also, it's quite comfy."

"No." Damon shook his head, a smile forming for just a moment before his expression turned serious again. "Thank you. For defending me to Elena."

"You were listening?" I asked.

He tapped his ear. "Vamp hearing, didn't really have a choice."

"Oh."

Not sure how to respond to that realization, I looked around the room, searching for a reason to change the topic.

"No TV?" I noted. "Don't tell me you couldn't afford one."

"Rots the brain." Damon replied.

"Can I have my phone?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I'll text your parents. Read a book."

"You're annoying." I smiled. "Wanna play hide n seek? This house is perfect for it."

"Mmm," He pretended to consider my proposition. "I'm actually going to play 'go feed my brother.' I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you don't want to join."

"But Damon," I protested. "What if there's an earthquake, and because you're not around to protect me, I get crushed by a falling bookcase and turn into a baby vamp?"

"Ha ha." He rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, if that happens, I'll just leave you trapped under the rubble so you can't transition. Problem solved."

I grabbed a book off the coffee table and chucked it at his retreating head. Without missing a beat, he reached his hand up and grabbed it. He wasn't even facing me! He turned back to me, frowning at the book.

"That's no way to treat a first edition Gatsby." He admonished.

"Ooh Gatsby?" I sat up. "Give me that. That's my favorite book."

He rolled his eyes, and tossed the book over his shoulder as he exited the room. I fumbled, but managed to catch it. He wasn't kidding; it really was a first edition of _The Great Gatsby_. Hell, he probably bought it when it first came out. Realizing that there wasn't anything else for me to do, I curled up to dive into the world of 1920's New York.

I was about halfway through the book when the ringing of Damon's cell phone snapped me out of my reading. How much time had passed?

"Hello?" He answered the phone while walking into the room, and immediately frowned. "Before I hang up, how did you get this number?"

I perked up, this sounded like a juicy phone call. Setting the book down, I stood up to walk over to him. I mouthed _Speaker_ to him, wanting in on the conversation.

He ignored me. "What kind of digging? Did he find anything?"

He listened for a moment, and then rolled his eyes. "Isobel knows John, whatever, we knew that."

"John?" I hissed, grabbing his arm. "Speaker. Speaker."

"No, no one's here. It's the TV." He glared at me. "Isobel's in Grove Hill? Perfect. Give me the address."

I jumped up and down, dying to know what was going on with Elena's birth mother and my birth father. Really, he was being rude for not sharing.

He scowled. "I'm not going with you, you tried to kill me."

His phone made a sound, and I saw on the screen that Elena was calling. Perfect.

"Hold on." He told whoever was on the phone. "_What_."

"Speaker, Damon." I instructed.

He rolled his eyes, but clicked the button. "_God_ you're annoying."

I hugged his arm in appreciation.

"Excuse me?" Elena's voice sounded on the other end.

"Not you. Lucy." Damon clarified.

"Right. Well I'm just grabbing some clothes and then I'll be right over." Elena informed us.

"She said eighty years ago." I feigned exasperation.

"How's Stefan?" Elena ignored me.

"Extra Broody. Hold on." Damon switched the phone call, but didn't take the phone off speaker. "You drive. Pick me up in an hour."

"Done." A familiar voice said, then hung up.

_Alaric?_ I mouthed.

Damon ignored me, and headed over to plop down in an armchair. I was sensing a trend of ignoring me, and I didn't like it. I followed, and sat on the sofa adjacent to him.

"He won't eat anything." Damon informed Elena.

"He has to eat." Elena said. "What's his favorite . . . kind of um . . ."

"His favorite kind of what?" Damon smirked.

"Type of animal blood that he prefers?" Elena forced out.

"Ewwww, gross." Damon teased.

"Your joking doesn't help." I could practically picture Elena's glare as she spoke.

"Helps me." Damon said.

"Me too." I chimed in.

"We win." Damon smiled. "Now hurry up. I can't babysit all night, I have things to do."

"You don't have to babysit me." I grumbled low enough that Elena wouldn't pick up, but Damon's vampire hearing sure would.

"I would say drop dead, but . . ." Elena surprised me with a good comeback.

"Ha ha." Damon pretended to be amused. "Stefan likes . . . puppy blood. Little golden retriever puppies with cute, fluffy ears. That's his favorite."

We heard a click. Elena hung up on him. I buried my face in my hands laughing.

"Wow you really are bored." Damon noted at my amusement.

"You can cure my boredom by telling me why Alaric was calling you about Isobel." I batted my eyelashes sweetly.

"Calling the teacher by his first name, do I need to inform your principal that there's an inappropriate relationship going on?" Damon teased.

"Don't change the topic. Spill."

"The history teacher and I have a shared mutual interest of finding Isobel. His motivator is figuring out why his wife left him, my money's that it was his drinking problem, my motivator is getting Elena to stop whining for five seconds." Damon informed.

"Got it." I nodded. "So when are we going?"

"_We_ aren't going anywhere." Damon corrected me. "_I_ will be leaving when Elena gets here. I'll take you home after."

"Pinky promise?" I asked.

Damon looked at my outstretched hand. "No. I'm not Elena."

I huffed and crossed my arms. "You know, I'm surprised you don't totally hate her."

"Hate who?" Damon asked.

"Elena." I clarified. "For looking like Katherine."

Damon laughed. "There are plenty of reasons to hate Elena, but her looking like Katherine is not one of them."

"If you say so." I shrugged, and went back to my book.

It was dark by the time Elena returned, looking as frazzled as ever. She tossed her bag next to me on the couch, barely looking at me before turning to leave the room.

"Hey Elena. Nice to see you. My day was great, how was yours?" I called after her. "Where are you going?"

"To check on Stefan." Elena said. "He needs to eat."

"Ahh, young love." Damon sighed as she left the room.

Not even ten minutes later, and Elena came back looking dejected. She sat down next to me on the couch. After taking one look at her expression, Damon got up to pour himself a drink.

"He's refusing to eat." Elena whimpered. "He said he doesn't want to survive. Says that he just wants it to be over."

"You know he's just being dramatic." Damon sipped his whiskey. "He's not going to starve himself."

"But why would he say that?" Elena replied.

"He feels bad about hurting Lucy. It's very typical Stefan martyr stuff." Damon shrugged. "It will pass."

"Will it?" Elena asked. "Because he seemed to be in a lot of pain."

Damon scoffed. "Well that'll pass too, once he eats."

"I didn't mean physical pain." Elena sighed, and looked at me. "Maybe if you talked to him . . ."

"Nope. No. No no no no." I shook my head. "Sorry, that's where I draw the line. I'm not gonna go tell him it's okay that he treated my neck like a drink from Starbucks. Absolutely not."

"Forget I asked." Elena said.

"What I will do," I perked up. "Is order a pizza with you and, I don't know, stare at the wall or something to help get your mind off things."

"Girls night is just what I need right now." Elena agreed. "Pizza and a movie?"

"Well we _could_ watch a movie if only . . ." I trailed off, noticing that Damon looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "You asshole! You do have a TV!"

"I never said I didn't, just that it rots the brain. Of course I have a TV, what is this, 1864?" Damon retorted. "You should be thanking me, I got you to read. Maybe now you'll get into college. Sounds like you two are going to be okay here if I run out. I have to go do an _errand_ with the teacher."

"The teacher?" Elena questioned. "Alaric? Are you two friends now?"

"I don't have any friends, Elena." Damon dismissed her.

I let out a begrudged sound in protest.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"

"Yes, _problem_. 'I don't have any friends.'" I mimicked his dreary tone. "What am I?"

Damon smirked. "A hostage."

There was a knock on the door, alerting us to Alaric's arrival. Moments later, he walked right into the living room, noting Elena and I's presence.

"Evening Elena . . . Lucy." His tone insinuated that he clearly was not expecting to see me there.

"Sure Ric, come on in." Damon glared at him. "Sure would be nice if humans also needed to be invited into a vampire's home."

"You know there is this thing called a lock." Alaric replied. "I find they work pretty well."

"With brains like that it's a wonder your wife didn't stick around." Damon looked at Elena and I. "You two. Be good. Elena, you should stay up here. You shouldn't be down there by yourself while I'm gone."

"I'll be fine." Elena said, clearly having no intention of obeying him. Ric looked confused, I guess he hadn't been filled in.

Damon shrugged into his black leather jacket. "You know, you're very trusting of him, given the circumstances."

Elena rolled her eyes. "So are you, otherwise you wouldn't be leaving."

Damon knew that she was right. "We won't be long."

Alaric nodded at Elena and I, pausing to study my expression. He was probably trying to figure out if I knew what Damon was now. I wasn't going to tell him, yet. He kept the secret from me too. I'll keep him guessing. Then the pair went out the door, on their adventure that they were very rudely leaving me out of.

"Can I use your phone?" I asked Elena. "For the pizza. Damon still has mine."

Elena sighed and tossed me her phone. "I'll be downstairs."

I knew protesting that choice was useless. "Want me to let you know when it gets here? And we can watch a movie?"

Elena just shrugged. "Fine, I'll be picking out the movie." She's lucky the Salvatore's probably didn't own _The Hannah Montana Movie_, otherwise she'd be stuck watching that.

When the pizza arrived, I went in the direction that Elena had left in, debating trying to find her. As soon as I actually found the stairs to the basement- er, the dungeon, as Damon had so kindly worded it, I decided that if she was hungry she could come find me herself. The steps were creepy. I mean, I've visited the catacombs of Paris before, and they were that level of creepy. Not to mention Stefan was down there. No thank you.

Unfortunately, no one had actually revealed the location of this alleged TV to me yet, and I knew I'd get lost in the house trying to find it. So I just sat back down on the sofa, to enjoy my dinner alone. I had made it through a slice and a half of pizza when Elena came back upstairs. She took one look at me, staring at the wall, and shook her head.

"You've got no clue where the TV is, do you?" She asked. "Come on, let's go."

She picked up the box of pizza, and I followed her, half eaten slice still in hand into . . . another living room. This one had bookshelves on every wall, and from a quick glance it looked like a rather valuable book collection. In the center of the room was a rather comfortable looking set of a leather couch and chairs, sat right in front of a fireplace which . . . thank god, had a flat screen above the mantle.

"Who needs two living rooms?" I retorted.

"This is the library." Elena corrected.

"Right, much more normal." I began to thumb through the DVD shelf. "No _Mean Girls_, no _Notebook_, man they have no taste."

"You really thought they were sitting around watching _The Notebook_?" Elena raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I thought a century and a half of life would be enough time for them to develop good taste in movies." I confirmed. "I'll be bringing some of my collection over to stock this shelf. Ooh, _The Princess Bride_. There's hope for them yet."

By the time Damon returned, Elena and I had devoured most of the pizza and I was falling into a food coma on the couch. Somehow, Elena was managing to stay awake, and had elected to move to one of the armchairs as I continued to spread out. What a kind cousin.

"You're watching _The Princess Bride?_" Damon peered at the TV as he reached for the last slice of pizza.

"You own it." I reached over to lazily slap his hand away. "I was gonna eat that. You don't even need people food."

"You're right, I don't need it. I want it." Damon clarified.

"Weren't you just saying that you felt so full that you weren't sure you could ever eat again?" Elena questioned me. "Before you started snoring, that is."

"I do not snore!" I was feeling very attacked. "Okay fine. You can have it. But only because I paid for it with your money."

"You _what?_"

I smiled. "Who keeps a money jar in the kitchen?"

"People who can rip someone's _head off_ if they steal from them, that's who." Damon narrowed his eyes at me.

"You owed me." I reasoned. "If you're going to keep a hostage, you should at least feed her."

"_As you wish._" Damon teased as he picked my legs up and sat down on the sofa, resting my legs in his lap.

Elena cleared her throat. "So, how was the errand?"

"Futile." Damon frowned. "Although, I think I witnessed the teacher having an existential crisis. Has Stefan eaten yet?"

"I thought you didn't care." Elena snapped.

Damon shrugged. "Chalk it up to morbid curiosity."

"I think he's getting there. But he's got a lot of guilt that he has to deal with." Elena said. "And it doesn't help that you've spent the last hundred and forty five years punishing him for Katherine getting caught."

"This is my fault now?" Damon raised an eyebrow.

"No it's no one's fault. I'm just saying you're not exactly innocent." Elena countered. I'm pretty sure Stefan is at fault for trying to rip my throat out, but I digress. "You've made it your life's mission to make him miserable."

My mind went back to the vivid memory of Damon promising Stefan an _eternity of misery_ after Stefan practically forced Damon to turn. "Elena, you have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sh, it's okay." Damon silenced me. "Let me ask you a question, Elena. In all this important soul searching and cleansing of the demons of Stefan's past, did you ever manage to get the rest of the story?"

Elena shook her head. "He said there was more."

"Yeah. That's an understatement." Damon pushed my legs aside and got up to storm out of the library.

"Damon." Elena got up after him. "_Damon._ Tell me."

He turned to glare at her, and then looked from her expectant face to my bewildered one, as if debating whether or not he should tell her. I nodded at him, and he exhaled before walking back over to the couch, pausing to pour himself a drink. Did he have a bottle of whiskey in every room of this house?

"I didn't want to transition." Damon said after taking a sip. "I made the decision not to. I thought Katherine was dead, and she was the only reason I wanted to be a vampire. The only reason I wanted to _live_. Stefan agreed to not feed with me, or I thought he did."

"But that would mean . . ." Elena connected the dots.

"That would mean we would die. Very good Elena, you know your vampire biology." Damon gave her a menacing grin. "But turns out Stefan had other plans. He went to visit our father, and ended up killing him after finding out that father was the one who killed us. After transitioning, he was kind enough to bring me a human, and force me to feed, so he wouldn't have to live an eternity alone."

Elena's knuckles were white from clenching her fists, and she had tears in her eyes. I pulled my knees to my chest, holding myself in a ball, remembering the vivid pain I had felt when Damon shared his memories with me. The pain etched on his face now wasn't any less than it had been yesterday, and I knew that while telling Elena, he was feeling it all over again.

"From the moment Stefan had his first taste of human blood, he was a different person." He spoke somberly. "I suppose I should thank him. It's been a hell of a ride."

"Oh my god." Elena finally said. "He said he wanted to die. That's why he won't feed. Now I understand why, but . . ."

Damon shrugged. "His choice. If he's stupid enough to make it, so be it."

"Don't do that. Don't pretend like you don't care." Elena snapped at him. "Oh my god, I have to go talk to him."

Elena ran out of the room. Leave it to her to hear about the most awful thing her boyfriend had ever done, and only feel the need to go comfort him. Damon poured himself another glass of whiskey, staring straight ahead as he drank. Hoping to bring him some level of comfort, I scooted closer to him to hug his arm and lean my head on his shoulder. He pulled his arm out of my grasp, and for a moment I thought he was going to get up and walk away from me, but instead he circled his arm around me and ran his hands idly through my hair.

"I suppose I should take you home now." He murmured into my ear.

"You've been drinking." I pointed out, a faint smile forming on my face as I remembered the similar exchange we had the night we met.

"Vampire perks." He explained. "I sober up real quick. Besides, even drunk, my senses are better than that of a sober human."

"You don't have to take me home just yet." I said. "I think my _friend_ has had a rough day, and needs to know that someone cares about him right now."

Damon didn't have time to deflect the usage of the word friend, or deny that he had any emotions whatsoever. Elena ran back into the room with fear in her eyes. She held up Stefan's daylight ring.

"Stefan's gone."

* * *

_And just let it all_

_Let it all fall in line_

_And just let it all_

_Let it all fall in line_

_And just let it all_

_Let it all fall in line_

* * *

**A/N: Another extra long chapter. We finally got lots of Damon and Lucy! And a little bit of Lucy calling Elena out for the way she treats her (I know you guys have been waiting for that!) I had lots of fun writing this Chapter, I really love writing the banter between Damon and Lucy as well as Lucy's internal monologue as she reacts to . . . well, everything. I'm leaving for a two week vacation out of the country next week, but I'll try to write as much as I can before I go so that I can still update while I'm gone. We're almost at the end of Season 1 contextually and I'm SO excited for Season 2, I have so much juicy stuff planned with Katherine & the Originals. I'll post the next chapter as soon as I get 7 new reviews or 7 new follows! **

**Thank so much to KimmyWSmith for being my beta. XO, Eden. **


	17. Chapter 17 - Sing

**A/N: Here is Chapter 17! I have to say that the responses I've been getting to this really blow me away and put such a smile on my face. Thank you to everyone who has chosen to read this story, and to those who have shared kind words with me. Thank you to KimmyWSmith for proofreading yet another Chapter for me and always sending me incredibly nice messages about my story. **

**I'm going to be out of the country until August, but I'll be updating as I can. Don't fret if I don't update as soon as usual- I'm very much excited to continue this story and will be doing so, I'll just be traveling. Feel free to leave me a note if you really miss me! XO, Eden.**

* * *

_Song: Sing_

_Artist: Sounds Under Radio_

_I want you to know_

_it's not your fault_

_what I've become_

_is all I own_

_I live inside_

_my own machine_

_but these clocks that keep me_

_will always_

_sing_

_sing to me_

_when you can't breathe_

_when you can't sleep_

_when you're feeling alone_

_and the words aren't right_

_just sing, sing to me_

Elena's words immediately set me into a panic. _Stefan's gone. Stefan's gone. _This was my nightmare come true, only Damon couldn't compel this away. This was real.

"Stefan's gone?" I repeated. "What do you mean he's gone?"

"I mean I went down to check on him, and he wasn't there. He left his daylight ring behind." Elena closed her fist around the ring.

"Oh my god." I whispered. "How did he get out?"

"I may have . . . left the door open the last time I was down there." Elena hung her head. "I told him I trusted him, and that I was ready to talk more when he was."

"You WHAT?" I shouted in disbelief. "Elena, why would you do that? How did you think that was going to go? Did you think Stefan was just going to come upstairs and join us for pizza, and I'd be okay with it?"

My vision went spotty with dizziness. My heart was racing so fast that I was sure that Damon could hear it. He squeezed my shoulder tightly, so tightly that I probably would have yelled at him under any other circumstances.

"It's okay. It'll be okay." He tried to calm me. "I'm here, he can't hurt you."

I leaned into him, forcing myself to take a deep breath and try to slow my heart rate. He was right. I knew I was safe with Damon here. This wasn't bad, or as bad as it could be, _yet._

"It's not _okay_." Elena snapped. "He doesn't have his ring! What if the sun comes up? He'll _die_. Damon, we have to find him. Oh my god."

"Okay, _okay_. We will, Elena." Damon closed his eyes, no doubt trying to block out the two panicked girls in his presence. "Just let me think for a moment. You said he was feeling guilt about transitioning . . . he must have gone to the quarry. Just to really dwell in the memory of it all, let himself feel the guilt."

Elena nodded. "Right. I'll go find him."

"Not so fast." Damon shot over to her before I even realized his arm wasn't around me anymore. "You have _no idea_ what his mental state is like right now. It's not safe for you to go alone, and I do _not_ want to deal with the Stefan guilt if he hurts _you_. We're all going."

"We?" I squeaked. "Do I have to go?"

Damon looked at me. "Would you really rather wait here and see if he comes back if I'm wrong? Didn't think so."

Damon grabbed my arm and pulled me after Elena, who I'm pretty sure wished she had vampire speed right now. We were halfway through the parlor when I realized I was still in the t-shirt and sweatpants that I had slept in.

"WAIT." I called out. "I need real clothes. It's probably cold outside."

"Are you KIDDING me?" Elena growled, but went over to the bag she had left on the sofa. "Shirt. Pants. Shoes. Change. _Now._"

"Damon, turn around." I instructed.

"Really?" He rolled his eyes, but obeyed when he saw the daggers that Elena was shooting at him through her eyes.

I quickly pulled on the sweatshirt, leggings, and shoes that Elena had thrown at me. At least I wouldn't freeze to death now, though there was no guarantee that I wasn't walking into a death trap anyways.

"Ok let's go." I said.

Damon drove, as he was the only who actually knew where he was going. I was already terrified as it was, and his driving didn't help at all. I guess when you know you can't die in a car crash, and that you can compel yourself out of any speeding ticket; you can just drive like the road is a NASCAR track. It would have been nice of him to be a bit more considerate of the humans in the car, though I suppose Elena would have his head if he didn't get her to Stefan fast enough.

I balled the sleeves of the sweatshirt Elena had lent me up into my fists as I bounced my leg up and down. What were we about to find? Elena said that once Stefan had human blood, it was all he could think about. What if he killed someone? Or worse, what if he killed multiple someones? What if we got there and found Stefan just surrounded by lifeless victims? Damon reached over the console to stop my leg from bouncing.

"It'll be okay." He reassured me.

"Both hands on the wheel, please." I pushed his arm away from me. "Your driving is scary enough as it is."

"Is this really the time for jokes?" Elena's voice came from the backseat. She really hadn't appreciated me taking the time to call shotgun while her boyfriend was missing.

"I'm not joking." I said. "Are we even in the same car right now? For two people who were super concerned about me dying a few hours ago, you really don't seem to care if this car flips."

Elena grumbled something inaudible but didn't continue to argue. Damon just ignored me, something he was very good at for someone with heightened senses. I looked over at the speedometer and he was going seventy miles an hour. On a road where the speed limit is forty five. These small town roads can get windy. For someone who "didn't care" what happened to his brother, he sure did seem in a hurry to find him. If I asked him, I know he would just make some crack about frantic Elena being annoying, but deep down I really think he was anxious to make sure his brother was okay.

"We're here." Damon pulled the car into a gravel lot in front of some trees. "Okay let's make a – Elena. ELENA!"

The second that Damon got out of the car, Elena had climbed over his seat and was running towards the tree line. Despite being more than capable of doing so, he made no effort to stop her. I got out, and shot him a nervous look over the roof of the car.

"I was going to say _let's make a plan_, but she seems to have it all figured out." He grumbled. "Come on, let's go make sure he's not biting her head off, or whatever."

He offered me his hand and led me through a small dirt path in the woods. When we emerged into a clearing, I had to stifle a gasp. The quarry was exactly like the memory Damon had shown me. Moonlight was bouncing off of the water, the waterfall in the distance causing just the slightest ripple effect on the surface. It was a beautiful place, where a horrible thing had happened.

Damon stuck his arm out to keep me from walking any further. Elena was a few yards in front of us, observing. Stefan stood by the water. His eyes were darting around the clearing, pure terror on his face. It was as if he didn't even see any of us, he was just in his own head reliving the past. He looked horrible. Beads of sweat clung to his forehead, and the small clouds emerging from his mouth indicated that he was hyperventilating. I ducked behind Damon at the sight of Stefan, peering over his shoulder to observe.

"STEFAN." Elena called out to him, snapping him out of his trance. "Damon told me the rest of the story. He thought we might find you here."

Stefan cringed as he looked up, no doubt remembering the events that partook in this very place a century and a half ago. His face looked crazed, but not in the same way that I had seen when he was bloodthirsty. This wasn't an angry and desperate crazed. He just looked . . . broken. Shattered beyond belief. For the absolute briefest moment, I found myself almost feeling sorry for him. Then I remembered the terror I felt when I was sure he was going to kill me, and that empathy went away.

"I should have died that night. Just like I had chosen." He closed his eyes. "I should have let Damon die too."

"But you didn't." Elena said. "And if you die now, it's not going to change what happened."

"Every single person that's been hurt, every single life that's been lost is because of me." Stefan strained, tears welling in his eyes.

Elena paused for a moment, taking in Stefan's pained expression. "The night that my parents died, I blew off family night so that I could go to some party. I ended up getting stranded and they had to come pick me up. That's why we ended up in the car at Wickery Bridge, and that's why they died."

Wait _what_? Elena had never told me how her parents died. I recalled our previous conversations . . . her parents had died around the same time that . . . No. No no no. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible.

"Our actions are what set things in motion." I could barely make out Elena's voice anymore due to my head was spinning. "But we have to live with that."

I was so thankful that Damon was no longer touching me. That I wouldn't have to slip my hand out of his to get away. I had to get away. Cautiously, I took a step back. Damon was so focused on the conversation between Elena and his brother that he wasn't listening for the sound of my footsteps.

"I made a choice Elena. And because of that choice a lot of people were hurt."

Watching my footsteps so that I didn't snap a twig, I continued to move backwards. I forced myself to take slow breaths; I couldn't allow my heart rate to speed up. Not yet.

"You also made the choice to stop. To reject the person that the blood made you. You made a choice to be good Stefan."

I was at least a few feet behind Damon now, on the entrance of the pathway to the woods. If he turned around now, maybe the branches would obscure me enough that he wouldn't be able to see me right away.

"Please don't do that." Stefan pleaded.

"That's the person who jumped in the water to save the family whose car had driven off the bridge." Elena tried to convince Stefan.

Stefan had been there? I didn't know that. Elena never told me any of this. Oh my god. Stefan had been there. Did he know?

"Please don't make this all okay."

I could barely hear them now. I couldn't see them at all through the trees. No one was paying attention to me. I was in the clear.

"That's the person who saved my life."

Stefan saved Elena. Elena almost died in the car crash that killed her parents. The car crash that . . .

I turned and ran. I had to get away from them. I couldn't be around them right now. Not after hearing what I had heard. I just ran. Not back to the car; I took a left when I should have kept going straight, taking me deeper into the woods. There were no lights on the path- this wasn't exactly a highly trafficked area- so all I had to guide me was the moonlight.

Eventually I ran out of breath, and leaned against a tree for support. Breaking into sobs, I collapsed where I stood on the cold earth. Elena's parents died in the same car crash that Brandon did. It had to be them. She told me they died in May- hadn't specified beyond that. They had told me that there had been another car, another _family,_ involved but they couldn't give me a name.

Oh my god. I was driving the car. All I remembered was seeing in animal in the road, too late to slam the breaks, swerving, and then . . . nothing. I just kept replaying it in my head. We had just left John's . . . or what used to be John's. Just found out that he had left town.

I was upset. Too upset. I shouldn't have been driving. Brandon tried to tell me as much. But I didn't listen. I should have listened to him. We were just on the bridge when Brandon had snapped me out of my daze. There was an animal. I couldn't even remember what it was. A deer? A coyote?

I tried to slam the brakes, and realized that wouldn't work. I swerved. I wasn't thinking. All I thought was that we would get hurt if I hit the animal. I didn't think about the fact that we were on a bridge. That we'd go into the water. I don't even remember hitting the water.

I strained trying to remember. Trying to search my brain for some segment of a memory that would confirm what I feared- that it was my fault, that I had killed Elena's parents, like I killed my brother. There was nothing though. There was no faint memory of another set of headlights, of anything. My next memory after making the decision to steer away from the animal was waking up in the hospital.

Stefan had been there. Stefan rescued Elena. Had he seen me? Did he know that I was responsible? No, no that wasn't possible. There's absolutely no way he wouldn't have told Elena who I was the second that she met me. That much was certain. My secret was safe.

It would have to stay that way. I couldn't tell Elena. This was a secret bigger than any promise I had made her. This wouldn't be like Elena finding out that Stefan was a killer of some abstract humans she had never met; I killed her parents. If I told her, if she knew, we'd have to leave town again. She'd hate me; anyone that she told would hate me. I'd lose my friends; I'd lose my _cousin_. Elena was my family, and I'd lose her. I had to keep this buried. No one could know.

I pulled myself into a ball, leaning against the tree I had collapsed against. Mentally, I willed the earth to just open up and swallow me. That would pretty much erase all of this. Unfortunately for me, although vampires and witches were real, the earth remained unable to magically devour people wanting to disappear.

Were Stefan and Elena still having a standoff in which Elena tries to convince Stefan that he's a morally sound being? Was Damon still watching them with tepid fascination? Or had he grown tired of his brother's moral dilemma. I knew that I should get up and try to find my way back before anyone realized that I was missing, if they hadn't already. But I just couldn't bring myself to get up. Though bitterly cold, the woods were tranquil and comforting. I wanted to just stay here and be invisible for a few moments more.

Truth be told, I don't think I could bear to go back. I wasn't ready to face Elena and withhold the truth from her, and I wasn't really ready to face Stefan for any reason. It made me feel sick to think of Elena so vehemently trying to convince Stefan that he was good when I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to face him again without feeling terrified.

"Lucy, what the HELL?" Damon shouted. "How many times do I have to tell you not to run off into the woods alone?"

I hadn't heard him approaching, but then again I never did. A pang of guilt immediately hit my chest; he looked genuinely worried; his brow was furrowed, temporarily etching deep lines on his forehead. In an instant, he was crouched beside me.

"Yeah well, now that I know what the source of those 'animal attacks' is, I figured I'd be safe going for a walk since I knew where you vampires were." I tried to joke, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Lucy, Stefan and I aren't the only vampires in town." He wasn't having it. "We opened the tomb, Lucy. All the other vampires that Emily saved, they got out."

"Oh." Was the only thing I could manage to say as I vaguely recalled Emily Bennett saying the words 'to save one, I had to save them all.'

"God, you can't _do that_! What were you thinking?" Damon cupped my face in both of his hands, forcing me to look at him, as if grasping for my attention.

"I was just . . . I just needed to . . ." I was at a loss for words. I hadn't come up for an excuse for my excursion yet.

His expression went from anger to concern as he took in my appearance for the first time. Without a doubt, my eyes were still swollen and red, and there may have even been a remnant of tear stains on my cheeks. I must've looked a damn mess.

"Needed to not be around Stefan?" He asked.

I nodded, taking the excuse. It wasn't a _complete_ lie. I didn't want to be around Stefan. No matter how many times everyone else told me that he wouldn't hurt me again, I just wasn't ready to face him again. Not yet. Letting out a sigh, Damon sat down next to me.

"Of course you don't want to be around him. I shouldn't have made you come." He put an arm around my shoulders. "God you're shaking. Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm not hurt." I shook my head. Heaven knows I wasn't okay, by any means. "Is Stefan- are they okay?"

"You're worried about Stefan?" He made a very _Damon_ face. "Well, last I saw they had their tongues down each other's throats, and that's when I turned around and realized that you were gone."

Of course Elena and Stefan would find romance in all of this. I crinkled my nose. "Gross."

Damon let out a low laugh at my commentary. I leaned into him, wrapping my fingers around the open zipper of his jacket. The scent of leather filled my nostrils, and as I inhaled a feeling of comfort washed over me. He wasn't exactly warm, but he was warmer than the night air. For just a moment, I closed my eyes. Moments ago, I had wanted nothing but solitude. Now that Damon was here, that thought didn't quite seem to make sense.

"I think that Stefan and Elena will be occupied for the rest of the evening." Damon broke the silence. "I should get you home."

"Mmm. No need." I groaned. "I was looking forward to camping out here."

"You? Camping?" Damon prodded. "Let me know how that goes. I'll come back in the morning to collect what's left of you."

I lazily shoved my elbow into his side, knowing that it would do no damage no matter how much force I exerted. "Excuse me. I'll have you know, I was a junior Girl Scout."

"Oh forgive me, did they teach you how to hunt vampires as a junior Girl Scout?" He asked.

I shook my head. "That they did not. I'm sure had I made it to the cadette level, they would have gotten around to it."

"Well in that case," Damon slid his free arm underneath my legs. "You're coming with me. Can't leave you out here all defenseless, it wouldn't be right."

"Damon," I protested. "You don't have to carry me."

He stood up, taking me with him. "You're a flight risk."

"I am not!" I giggled as he began to walk back to his car. "Do you see your psychopath brother anywhere? No risk of running."

Damon shook his head. "That is the only time I have ever heard someone refer to _Stefan_ as the psychopath brother instead of me."

I felt the lighthearted tone fade away ever so slightly. "Are you really that bad?"

"I'm a soulless monster." He deadpanned. "After all, I did hold you hostage all day."

"Oh come on, be serious." I demanded as I could barely contain my laughter. "I didn't exactly try to run."

"_But your honor, she didn't try to run_." Damon mocked. "Yeah, that's not gonna hold up in court. Also you _did _try to run."

"Yeah but not from _you_." I corrected him.

"Well you could have fooled me, seeing as I was left out of your plans." He grumbled.

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you really that mad at me?"

"I'm not mad." He denied. "It's just that if I'm going to be hunting down humans in the woods late at night, I prefer to get a meal at the end of it."

I studied his face for a moment, until his stoic expression morphed into a mischievous grin. "You're awful!"

"I told you as much." He put me down outside his car, and opened the passenger door. "Your ride, Miss."

Before I could give a second thought to what I was doing, I playfully curtsied and put on a mock proper Southern accent. "Why thank you, Mr. Salvatore."

Damon froze, his hand still on the doorframe. He set his jaw so firmly that for a moment I was certain that he was turning to stone. His already icy eyes glazed over; he was looking at nothing, but he was looking elsewhere. Just as quickly as the trance came over him, he shook his head and it was gone.

"There." He said.

"There what?"

"There. Just now. You reminded me of her." He explained.

I didn't need any clarification as to which her _he_ was referring to. "Why, because of the accent? I'm sorry I-"

"No no no," He cut me off. "It's more than that. It's the look that you got in your eyes. So playful, and fiery. Elena may look exactly like Katherine, but she has none of her spirit. You . . . you're actually fun to be around. You keep me on my toes."

"I thought you said that neither of us have her personality." I cautioned.

"You don't." He backtracked quickly. "There's just . . . moments. Katherine was selfish, and manipulative, and evil. You are none of those things, that much I have seen."

Oh if only he knew how wrong he was. To Damon, I was just a normal, innocent seventeen year old. He didn't know what I had done, the lies that I carried. Standing before him without my necklace on, I was very aware of how quickly that all could change. It would only take one question for my secrets to no longer be secrets.

I nodded at him, not meeting his gaze as I ducked into the car. With usual Damon speed, he got into the driver's seat and reached into his pocket to hand me something. I tilted my head, a confused expression on my face.

"Your phone?" He raised an eyebrow. "You've only been asking for it all day."

"Oh. Right." I took my phone and began to go through my numerous missed calls and messages. I smacked his arm. "Damon!"

"_Lucy_!" He mimicked, starting the car. "What?"

"Bonnie's been freaking out!" I wasn't even sure how Bonnie got my number, probably from Caroline. "You couldn't reply and tell her I was okay?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "I promised her that you would be okay. She should know I don't break promises that I make to Bennett witches."

"God you're unbelievable." I let out a frustrated sigh before sending a text back to the frantic witch.

_So sorry. I'm okay. Will talk tomorrow. –Lucy._

I crossed my arms and leaned back in the seat, noting that Damon drove considerably less recklessly now that he wasn't searching for Stefan. I considered making a crack about it, but decided against it. Now wasn't the time. Before I knew it, Damon had pulled his car to a stop outside my house.

"Here you are, ma'am." He teased.

I looked at the dark windows in the house, and noted that my parents must already be asleep. I'd have to be quiet when letting myself in.

"Shit." I whispered.

"What's wrong?" Damon's brow furrowed.

"My car. I drove to Elena's yesterday." I explained. Thinking about unlocking the door made me realize I didn't have my keys on me. "It's still there."

"Really? You're just now remembering this?" He retorted.

"I've been a little distracted today." I crossed my arms. "Dammit, I don't even know where my keys are. I probably dropped my purse somewhere in the woods."

"Can you get in the house?" He asked.

I nodded. "We keep a spare key hidden outside."

"Then go inside." He instructed. "I'll take care of it."

"But –"

"No buts. You've had a long day." He silenced me. "Now go inside and get some sleep. If you leave your window unlocked I might even come in and give you another dream about me when I come back."

I looked at him. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" He feigned innocence.

"That play-flirty whatever it is thing that you do." I said. "Just don't."

"Who said I was playing?" He leaned across the console to whisper in my ear. "Goodnight, Lucy."

My face flushed. "Goodnight, Damon."

I was so flustered I almost tripped as I got out of the car. I could feel Damon watching me the entire time I entered my house, and I was so thankful that my parents were already asleep so that I wouldn't have to explain my red face and lack of a car.

It wasn't that I didn't like the attention. Damon had possessed the ability to make my heart skip a beat since the night that I met him. But I couldn't have a flirty whatever type of relationship with Elena's boyfriend's brother. That would be too complicated. Damon was my friend. My extremely handsome, blood thirsty friend. That was all.

By the time I finished showering, I was already struggling to keep my eyes open. I looked towards my window, and debated just for a moment unlocking it like Damon had said, but shook my head at the idea. When I tucked myself into bed, I barely had time to appreciate the feeling of sleeping in my own bed before sleep overtook my mind.

_I was expecting nightmares, that much I knew. With everything I had learned in the past twenty-four hours, I just wasn't sure what my jumbled mind would bring to me in my sleep. It brought me back to the night I knew all too well, driving out of Mystic Falls with Brandon beside me in the passenger seat._

_"Lucy, are you sure you're okay?" Brandon asked. "We can pull over. Get food somewhere. Mom and dad will understand if we're late."_

_"I'm fine Brandon." I choked out. "I just want to get home."_

_"Are you sure? Because you shouldn't be driving if you're so-"_

_"I said I'm FINE Brandon." I snapped. I didn't mean for it to come out so harsh._

_Brandon didn't say anything after that. I knew I should apologize. He was just trying to help. But I just wanted to get out of this stupid town. Mom and dad decided to raise me elsewhere and I should have never come back. We were coming up on the bridge that would take us away from Mystic Falls._

_"Lucy look out!" Brandon yelled._

_I snapped out of it. In the road was a person. I slammed the breaks, but not soon enough. The car got so close the figure was illuminated in the headlights. It wasn't Vicki this time; it was Stefan. I recognized the look on his face, eyes blackened with veins popping out underneath. He wanted blood._

_I jerked the wheel to avoid him, but when I tried to steer back the car just kept sliding. The road was slippery, too slippery. The last thing I heard before crashing through the barely-there railings on the bridge was a car horn, echoing in my ears._

_As I braced myself for impact, the car horn faded into the beeping sound of a heart monitor, and when I opened my eyes I was in an ambulance. There was only one paramedic, whose back was turned to me. I tried to move, but couldn't, my wrists were restrained._

"_What's going on?" I panicked. "Why am I here?"_

"_You know why you're here." The paramedic turned to face me. Stefan. "We have unfinished business."_

"_Where's my brother?" I screamed. "Just let me go!"_

"_You killed him." Stefan leaned over and stuck a syringe in my arm, filling it with my blood. "You killed them all."_

* * *

_I know that no one else_

_can save me from myself_

_but these words, like painted glass_

_have frozen me between_

_so just sing_

_sing to me_

_when you can't breathe_

_when you can't sleep_

_when you're feeling alone_

_and the words aren't right_

_just sing, sing to me_


	18. Chapter 18 - No Rest for the Wicked

_Hey guys! I'm back. I had a lovely trip but I'm very excited to get back into this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I would love to hear your thoughts on it! _

_Thank you to KimmyWSmith for proofreading. XO, Eden. _

* * *

_Song: Ain't No Rest for the Wicked_

_Artist: Cage the Elephant_

_I was walking down the street when out the corner of my eye_

_I saw a pretty little thing approaching me_

_She said, "I never seen a man, who looks so all alone_

_And could you use a little company?_

_If you can pay the right price, your evening will be nice_

_But you can go and send me on my way"_

_I said, "You're such a sweet young thing, why you do this to yourself?"_

_She looked at me and this is what she said_

_Oh there ain't no rest for the wicked_

_Money don't grow on trees_

_I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed_

_There ain't nothing in this world for free_

_Oh no, I can't slow down, I can't hold back_

_Though you know, I wish I could_

_Oh no there ain't no rest for the wicked_

_Until we close our eyes for good_

When I woke, the morning was eerily peaceful in contrast to my dream. Pale light was shining through the windows, warming me so that I was just cozy enough to want to stay in bed all day. Skipping school was not an option today; I needed to show Bonnie that I was okay, as well as thank her for her part in saving my life.

There was also some sort of Founder's Day preparation that I'm pretty sure Caroline had told me about at some point while I was lovingly tuning her out. Those damn Founders. They must have really thought themselves to be something special, the way that everything in this town was centered on them.

With a stretch, I begrudgingly decided to get started with my day. I let out a yawn as I reached over to check my phone, and saw that I had a text from an unknown number.

_Car is in the driveway. Keys on top of left front tire. –D._

Evidently, he had saved my number in his phone that first night that we met; he was just now getting around to using it. I smiled at the text; the fact that Damon actually went out of his way to bring my car home for me was insanely sweet. If only he could act like that towards everyone; maybe then Elena wouldn't hate him so much.

It was peak fall now, and as such it was going to be rather chilly today. Dressing for cold weather had always been one of my favorite things; I love me a cozy sweater. Thanks to many shopping trips with Caroline, my closet was starting to look a bit more full and I had my pick of cute outfits for the day. I opted for pairing an olive green turtleneck with black skinny jeans and black ankle boots with a bit of a heel. Perhaps it was a bit dressy for school, but who cares.

I went downstairs to join my parents for morning coffee. That was just one of the perks of small town living; no long commute to the office means that my dad is still here most mornings when I get up for school. As usual, dad was reading the newspaper, which he looked up from when I walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning cupcake." He greeted me.

"Morning dad, mom." I smiled at them as I headed over to the coffee pot.

Mom smiled back at me. "Don't you seem chipper this morning."

I shrugged. "No reason."

"Well it's nice to see that you've been more yourself lately." Mom said. "See, I knew this would be good for you."

"Speaking of," I tried to keep my tone neutral; thankful I was facing away from them as I asked. "Why did you decide to leave in the first place?"

Dad cleared his throat. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." I turned around, taking a sip of my coffee. "You guys said it was a mutual decision between you and John, and I was wondering why."

"Did you speak to John?" Mom pressed. "Did he say anything to you?"

"Is there anything to say?" I challenged.

"Of course not." Dad answered. "It was decided that it would be best for everyone, you know that."

"Best how?" I pushed for more answers.

"We thought it would be too confusing for you if you grew up knowing who your birth father was, but it also wouldn't have been fair to John to see you grow up while he was a stranger to you." Mom explained. "So we left. When you told us that he had left town when you were trying to find him . . . well we thought it was safe to come back."

Safe to come back? What the hell does that mean? Not to mention the whole "it would be too confusing" bit. Yeah mom, because turning sixteen and finding out you have biological parents that you've never even heard of _isn't _confusing. Sounds logical. I didn't have time to push the issue any further, as my dad folded his newspaper and made a show of looking at his watch.

"Right, looks like it's time for me to hit the road." He got up to give me a hug. "Goodbye cupcake, have a nice day at school. Goodbye Elise."

I forced a smile as I watched him grab his bag to head out to the garage. I wasn't a fool; I noticed how quickly he suddenly had to get to work as soon as I brought up John. Moments after shutting it, dad poked his head back through the door.

"Lucy, is there a reason your car is parked outside?" He asked.

I cringed. Hadn't thought of that. "I uh- the garage door wouldn't open last night. I totally forgot about it til now."

"Huh, well it's working now." He said.

"Huh. Weird." I took a sip of coffee to hide my face.

He nodded. "We'll keep an eye on it and call a mechanic if it keeps acting up. Bye!"

Mom turned to me and raised an eyebrow after dad shut the door. "Garage door wouldn't open, would it?"

"Yup." I confirmed.

"Hmm." She eyed me suspiciously. "I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that Damon drove you home last night."

I nearly choked on my coffee. "You were awake?"

"Of course I was awake, I'm not going to sleep not knowing that you're somewhere safe in bed for the night." She replied.

I felt a pang of guilt, both at the fact that my mom stayed up til I got home, and that she had seen me come home with Damon. "I was just- I uh-"

"It's okay, really." She assured me. "Just be more careful. Luckily, your father was asleep, but I don't think he'd be too happy to see you coming home with an older boy, on a school night nonetheless."

I nodded. "Right."

"You weren't drinking, were you?" She asked. "Actually, you know what, I don't want to know. All that matters is that you were safe and made the decision not to drive home if you were."

"I wasn't-"

"You know, it's sweet really." She cut me off. "He drives you home _and_ goes through the trouble of bringing your car to you? That must've been a long walk home, where does he live again?"

Well, he has vampire speed, but I couldn't very well tell her that now could I. "Mom, it's not like that."

"Mmm, sure." She voiced her disbelief with a smile. "If he's the reason you're so happy today, I'm all for it."

"_It's not like that._" I insisted.

"Well you better get to school." She thankfully picked up on my desire to change the topic. "The sneaking around with boys at midnight can stay between us, but if your grades start slipping we'll have to bring dad into it."

She did _not_ need to make that threat twice. It wasn't that my dad didn't see me as my own person that could make my own choices; he just knew what scumbags boys could be. There was no breaking out baseball bats with my dad, but he had sat Connor Winebeck down for a chat about what it means to respect another person when he had come to pick me up for the homecoming dance my sophomore year. I didn't even want to _think_ about Damon's reaction to that conversation, not that there was any reason to have it.

I was out the door and on the way to school before mom could even begin to say "Damon" one more time, but our prior conversation still lingered on my mind. Something about their reaction to me bringing up John did not sit right with me. I really felt that they were leaving something out.

What did mom mean when she asked if John said anything to me? Said anything about what? What did she mean my they thought it was "safe" to come back? Somehow I had a feeling that she didn't mean that John was threatening them to stay out of town. If John knew about vampires, did that mean my parents did too?

I couldn't very well just ask them if they knew that vampires existed. Judging by their reaction to me just bringing up the man that brought me into this world, I hardly think _that_ conversation would go well. I was barely able to convince them that I didn't need to continue therapy in Mystic Falls; talking about vampires would cause them to phone up a psychologist in a heartbeat. Not that there's anything wrong with therapy, but I just couldn't sit through a doctor asking me to explain why I believe in the occult when the only answer was that _it really is real_.

No, talking to my parents was not an option. Not yet, at least. I knew I would have to talk to John. Did he even know who I was? I mean obviously he wouldn't recognize me, if the last time he saw me had been when I was a newborn. But did the name ring the faintest of bells in his head when he met me? Or had he just handed me to my parents and forgotten all about me.

I pushed thoughts of John out of my mind as I got to school, for now. I had a witch to find and thank. Luckily, she was easy to find, as she was lingering by her locker.

I snuck up behind her and attacked her with a hug. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Bonnie jumped. "Lucy! Oh thank god. You really are okay."

"I am." I smiled. "Damon said something about keeping promises to Bennett witches."

She raised an eyebrow. "How much do you remember?"

"He didn't compel me, if that's what you're asking." I replied.

"He . . . didn't?" My answer didn't seem to solve her confusion.

"Nope, Stefan's demon face right before he bit my neck is still very much etched into my memory." I shuddered at the very thought.

"That's weird." Bonnie pondered. "He seemed pretty set on it. I believe his exact words were 'I'll feed her some blood, wipe her mind, and she can go back to living her _happy little high school life._'"

"Guess I convinced him not to." I shrugged. "Anyways, thank you for disarming Stefan. I mean it. I mean I barely even know you and you saved my life."

"It's my duty to protect humans from vampires." Bonnie brushed it off. "But if you _reaaally_ feel indebted to me, you could help me help Caroline with the Miss Mystic Float for the Founder's Day parade."

I groaned. "On second thought, I think I'll take my chances with Stefan."

Bonnie laughed. "Come on."

She led me to the cafeteria, where a good portion of the student body was gathered, all working on various activities. Apparently, classes were shortened today to allow us time to prepare for Founder's Day. Because celebrating a bunch of old people is more important than education here in Mystic Falls.

We found Caroline sitting by herself, laptop open at a table, clearly growing impatient as she awaited Bonnie's arrival. I scanned the room for Elena, but it looked like she wasn't here. Thankfully, that meant that Stefan was nowhere to be found either.

"Oh good, Lucy. You're here to help too." Caroline clapped her hands.

"Remind me why I'm even here to help?" Bonnie teased. "I wasn't even in the Founder's Court."

"Because you're my best friend." Caroline explained. "And because the quicker I finish this, the more time I'll have to perfect the cheer routine for the parade. Just because I won't be with you guys, doesn't mean I expect anything less than perfection."

"Uhh, cheer routine for the parade?" I asked. "We're in the parade?"

"Yes, Lucy. I've told you this a thousand times." Caroline exhaled angrily. "Do you even listen to me when I talk?"

"Of course I do." About fifty percent of the time. "It just slipped my mind."

"Well it better unslip." Caroline said. "I am still your captain, and I will not have my name tarnished by a subpar routine."

"All right, show us what you've got in mind for the float." Bonnie changed the topic, saving me for the second time this week.

"Let's reference last years Miss Mystic Float." Caroline perked up at the opportunity to talk planning, and began to type away at her laptop. "This is what they did last year, and it's exactly what we _don't_ want to do."

"Ew." Bonnie confirmed, looking at the photo of the perfectly average parade float. "Ok, so, what are we doing?"

"Southern Classic Elegance." Caroline announced with pride.

"Gone with the Wind?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

"How'd you know?" Caroline asked.

"You channel Scarlett daily." Bonnie replied.

"So true." Caroline giggled. "Ugh, where's Elena? She's supposed to be helping."

Probably off coddling her bloodthirsty boyfriend. But I couldn't say that out loud. So I let Bonnie take the wheel on this one, her being a little more versed in this whole supernatural thing and all.

"I don't know." Bonnie's voice hinted that she probably felt the same way about Stefan that I did.

Caroline sighed. "Okay, what's the deal?"

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.

"Don't play dumb." Caroline's eyes narrowed. "You and Elena are fighting. Aren't they so fighting?"

"I um. . ." I avoided eye contact by looking around the room. I wasn't about to take sides on this one. "Is that Damon?"

Their heads turned in the direction I was looking. Sure enough, Damon was strolling across the cafeteria, clad in his usual leather jacket and looking like the bad boy from an eighties movie. He was attracting a fair bit of stares and giggles from the female population of the student body, not that I could blame them. What was he doing here? He wasn't about to try to pass as a high schooler and enroll, was he? They were already pushing it with the whole Stefan thing.

"Morning ladies." He smiled as he approached our table. "May I borrow Lucy for a moment? Great, thank you."

Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed my arm and guided me away from the table.

"Damon, is everything okay?" I asked, trying not to panic at the possibilities.

"Team meeting." He replied, leading me into a very empty hallway.

"Damon. Damon! What's going on?" I raised my voice a little bit.

He ignored me, and just continued walking down the hall. He had let go of my arm, and I was struggling to keep up with him a little bit. The only sound in the hall was the echoing _click-click_ of my heels on the floor.

"Could you walk any louder?" He snapped, still facing away from me. "I don't think they can hear you in Florida."

Someone had woken up on the wrong side of the coffin today. I was too taken aback by his attitude to reply. Was he mad at me? What could I have possibly done in the ten-ish hours since I had seen him to piss him off? He didn't speak until we reached our destination, which was evidently Alaric's classroom.

"Damon. Thanks for coming." Alaric greeted him.

"Sorry I'm late, dog ate my uh. . ." He quickly read the room. "Never mind."

I followed Damon into the classroom, where Elena and Stefan were both sitting at desks. Really? Nobody saw anything wrong with Stefan being at a high school right now? Stefan looked pained, though that wasn't really a new thing, and Elena looked shell-shocked. What was going on? Did Stefan eat somebody again? I stayed just slightly behind Damon. If Stefan was still spiraling, I wanted a vampire shield in between him and me.

"Damon," Alaric's voice was really raspy, he almost sounded ill. "Is this something you should have brought Lucy to?"

"If you're asking if I know about vampires, the answer is yes." I snapped. "Thanks for lying to me along with everyone else, by the way."

"Right." Alaric didn't exactly look happy either.

"What's with all the furrowed brows?" Damon asked.

"I saw Isobel last night." Alaric replied.

"Isobel's here?" Damon looked shocked. "In town?"

Elena's face confirmed as much. I knew exactly how she felt in that moment. I too, had spent endless time trying to find my birth parent only for them to just show up in town right when I was starting to move on.

"Did you ask her about Uncle John? Are they working together?" Damon inquired.

Alaric shook his head. "No."

"Wait, how _does_ John know Isobel?" I cut in.

"High school sweethearts, or something. I tuned it out." Damon made a disgusted face. "No they're not working together?"

"No I didn't ask." Alaric sighed. He looked awful. I mean, he's a handsome dude, but he looks like he's battling one hell of a hangover right now.

"What about the invention?" Damon pushed.

Alaric shrugged. "Didn't ask."

Damon was getting frustrated. "Does she know about the tomb vampires?"

"I don't know." Ric shook his head.

"Did words completely escape you?" Damon was getting up in Ric's face a little bit. That was a fight I did not want to see.

"No, I was a little too distracted by my _dead vampire wife_ to ask any questions." Ric yelled back.

Gotta say, I'm team Ric on this one. The fact that just used the phrase "dead vampire wife" in reference to real life events kind of gives him a pass. If Brandon suddenly showed up as a vampire after I had thought he was dead for two years, I don't think I'd be able to form a proper sentence either. It was shocking to me that Ric was even upright and talking now.

"What did she want?" Damon asked after I put a hand on his arm to get him to back off of Ric a bit.

"She wants to see me, Damon." Elena answered.

"Alaric is supposed to arrange a meeting." Stefan elaborated. "We don't know why or what she wants."

"You don't have to see her if you don't want to." Damon told Elena, a surprising gesture of thoughtfulness between the two of them.

Elena shook her head. "I don't really have a choice."

"She's threatening to go on a killing spree." Ric hung his head.

"Oh." Damon pondered that for a moment. "I take it that's not okay with you guys?"

"_Damon._" I sighed. We have a murderous vampire on the loose, _two_, if you count Stefan (which I do). Not the time for jokes.

"I want to do it. I want to meet her." Elena said, her voice not quite convincing me. "If I don't, I know I'll regret it."

That was a sentiment I could get behind. Though I wasn't quite sure if she meant that she'd regret because she'd miss the chance to meet her birth mother, or because Isobel would kill people if she didn't meet her. If Elena can brave meeting Isobel, I can definitely handle a conversation with John, the human. But John wasn't a vampire, and as far as I knew, John hadn't killed anybody. Given Isobel's ease at threatening human life . . . well I had no doubt that she had killed before.

"Are you sure it's safe?" I blurted out.

"No, but it's not safe not to." Elena replied. "You heard what Ric said, she'll kill people if I don't meet her. I can't be responsible for that."

"But you wouldn't be responsible." I tried to reason with her. "Isobel would. I mean, what if she wants to hurt _you_."

"Let's be reasonable here." Damon looked at me. "Do you really think Isobel wants to meet her own daughter just so she can kill her? She's a vampire, not a spider."

"But-"

"Okay, how's this? Elena will meet Isobel at The Grill. She won't make a scene there." Damon suggested. "I'll be there, hiding in a corner where she can't see me, but I can hear everything. Stefan will be there too, if he can handle it."

"What do you mean _if he can handle it?_" Elena snapped at Damon.

Damon waved his hand around. "Oh, you know how Stefan is. So . . . emotional, unpredictable."

"That's enough, brother." Stefan clearly didn't enjoy being criticized by Damon. "Alaric, you'll be in touch when you arrange the meeting?"

Ric, who was leaning against the chalkboard looking as if he was on the verge of passing out, just nodded at Stefan. Stefan took that as his cue to leave and paced out of the room, with Elena following shortly behind him after telling me that she'd catch up with me later. Hopefully sans Stefan, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

"Lucy, do I want to know how you figured out the truth?" Ric asked, still leaning against the chalkboard with his eyes closed.

"Well, I kind of got cued in when Stefan tried to kill me." I retorted. "The whole fangs and demon eyes thing kind of solidified my theory."

Suddenly Ric was much more alert; he stood up straight and his eyes darted from me to Damon. "When he WHAT?"

Damon went completely stiff, and turned to glare at me. "I thought we were going to keep that on the down low."

I crossed my arms. "You're the one that was egging him on two seconds ago."

"You promised me no more killing!" Ric was in Damon's face now; he looked ready to punch him. Punching a vampire would not be a good choice, Ric.

"Relax, she's alive." Damon held his hands up. "Now tell me, why is it that when Stefan does something wrong, it's my fault, yet when I do something wrong . . . it's still my fault."

Ric huffed, and looked over at me. "Are you okay?"

I shrugged. "Am I healed physically? Yes. Am I having nightmares? Also yes."

Not that the nightmares were anything new for me. It was just that Stefan was now a part of them.

"I had no idea." Ric looked even worse for the wear after hearing about Stefan, and glared at Damon again. "Is he under control now?"

"Again, why is Stefan my responsibility?" Damon's eyes narrowed.

"Because he's your brother." Ric said, earning an eye roll from Damon. "Don't be a dick."

"Listen, Ric, do you think you could take a sick day today?" I cut in, hoping to avoid an actual fistfight between the two. "No offense, but you kind of look like crap."

He sighed. "Yeah, well, a fifth of whiskey and a meeting with your ex wife will do that to you."

"Teaching while hungover, nice." Damon commented.

"You're probably right. I'll go talk to someone at the office." Ric patted Damon on the shoulder. "Keep an eye on her. Isobel specifically threatened to go after my students; I have a feeling if she finds out who Elena's friends are they'll be at the top of her list."

I sat down at Ric's desk as he walked out of the classroom, Damon glaring at his back as he left. I just needed a minute to process what was going on. Isobel was back, and she wanted to meet Elena. What did she want from her? The woman who sought out a vampire to change her and left her husband in the process did not strike me as the sentimental type. I had a strong feeling that whatever she wanted wouldn't be good.

Damon sat on the corner of the desk, eyeing me. "How was the drive to school?"

A small smile formed on my face. "Thanks for bringing my car back, Damon."

"You didn't leave your window unlocked." He commented.

"It didn't seem like a good idea." I shrugged. Was that why he was in a bad mood this morning?

He frowned. "You don't trust me."

It was quite the opposite actually. I knew that he had already been invited in and could come and go from my house as he pleased. If he really wanted to get inside my house, he could break the lock on any door or window of my house with practically no effort. But I trusted that he wouldn't do that.

"No it's not that. I just . . ." I shrugged as I trailed off. "Are you mad?"

"At you?" Damon raised an eyebrow. "No, of course not."

"But you are mad." I observed.

"Of course I'm mad." He replied. "I got called into a freaking parent teacher conference because my brother and his girlfriend can't handle their own drama."

I sighed. "You know, you don't have to be responsible for him."

"But I do. I am. Look what happened." His voice softened a bit. "Are you really still having nightmares?"

"It's only been a few days." I tried to brush it off.

"I can always make you forget everything if it gets to be too much." He offered.

"No, I don't want that." I shook my head, and my hand went to where my necklace should have been.

"I won't do it if you don't want me to." Damon's brow furrowed. "But we do need to get you some vervain. The tomb vampires are still lurking around."

"And Isobel." The thought of Isobel alone instilled more fear into my veins than all of the tomb vampires combined.

"And Isobel." Damon echoed. "Why don't you get back to whatever it is you were doing with blondie and witchy? There's no use worrying about Isobel right now. You'll be safe here at school, just don't go wandering off."

I hopped up from Ric's seat. "Talk later?"

Damon just nodded, his eyes just slightly glazed over as he contemplated our current predicament. As I turned to leave, he reached out to grab my arm, eyes still fixated elsewhere. Slowly, he pulled his hand down my arm until my fingers were loosely cupped in his. With a squeeze of my hand, he finally looked at me and forced a small smile.

With each day that I knew Damon, he seemed more and more human. Every gentle touch, every conversation we had that wasn't laden with sarcasm, every display of genuine concern for my safety; it made me see something in him that I knew no one else did.

In that moment, I wanted to throw myself into his lap and hold him as tightly as I could with my human arms. I wanted to tell him that I didn't blame him for Stefan, that I trusted him, that the only thing that scared me about him was the way I felt for him. But I couldn't. We were already treading a dangerous line, a boundary that was just daring us to cross it. I couldn't be the first one to cross that line; I wasn't brave enough. Instead, I just squeezed his hand in return before letting go, the thought of his touch still overpowering my mind long after he was out of my sight.

When I returned to the cafeteria, Bonnie and Caroline appeared to have worked past their slight tiff and were intensely discussing parade float ideas. Elena was nowhere to be seen, and I wondered if she was just planning on skipping school today and had only shown up to talk to Alaric about Isobel. I slid into a seat next to Bonnie, more than ready to immerse myself in parade planning.

"Why hello, Lucy," Caroline greeted me with a mischievous smile. "What did Damon want?"

"Oh it was nothing." I looked at the table; I hated lying, but I couldn't very well tell Caroline what was going on.

"Sure." Caroline winked. "I've snuck off into the hallway for _nothing_ plenty of times before."

My face flushed red at Caroline's implication. Bonnie and Caroline were both giving me a knowing look, but for very different reasons. I tried to muster a glance towards Bonnie that said talk later; hopefully _telepathy_ is one of her witch powers.

"Elena!" Caroline waved. "There you are!"

I turned to look over my shoulder, and sure enough Elena had finally chosen to show up. Thankfully, Stefan wasn't with her. I wanted my morning to have some shred of normalcy. Elena sat down opposite of me at the table.

"So, speaking of Damon," Caroline glanced between the two of us. "Elena, why were you dancing with him at Miss Mystic? You ran off before I could get an explanation."

I put my hand over my mouth to stifle a cough. "You were what?"

She was dancing with _Damon_? Obviously Stefan had been a little preoccupied to fulfill his duties as her escort, but I hadn't really given much thought to how the pageant had gone.

"Um, yeah? Weren't you there?" Caroline pouted when she saw my dumbfounded reaction. "Wow, you didn't get to see me win. Where were you?"

"Stefan was sick." Elena filled in quickly. "Lucy helped take care of him so that I could still go on, and Damon volunteered to fill in for Stefan."

Caroline nodded slowly, still not convinced. "How did he know the dance?"

Probably because he was alive when it was invented. I eyed Elena, who was intently avoiding my gaze. There was a pit in my stomach at the thought of her dancing with Damon. It wasn't just jealously. I felt . . . lied to. While we seemed to have reached an agreement on the topic now, she had spent so much time trying to keep me away from Damon. On more than one occasion I had felt that she acted possessive over him. I couldn't help but shake the feeling that my cousin felt something for Damon, something other than the hatred and disgust that she put on that she felt.

Caroline led the conversation for the rest of the planning session. Bonnie had gone noticeably silent when Elena approached the table; no doubt just as upset as I was with her support of Stefan. I was too deep in contemplation to contribute much. All I could think of was Katherine, and the possibility that Elena took after more than just her in more than her appearance, she also shared her affinity for both Salvatore brothers.

For Damon's sake, I hoped I was wrong. Thanks to him sharing his memories with me, I had felt his heartbreak over Katherine firsthand. With Elena's resemblance to Katherine, it would be too confusing, too hurtful if she had feelings for him too.

* * *

_Not even fifteen minutes later after walking down the street_

_When I saw the shadow of a man creep out out of sight_

_And then he swept up from behind, he put a gun up to my head_

_He made it clear he wasn't looking for a fight_

_He said, "Give me all you've got, I want your money not your life_

_But if you try to make a move I won't think twice"_

_I told him, "You can have my cash, but first you know I gotta ask_

_What made you want to live this kind of life?"_

_He said_

_Oh there ain't no rest for the wicked_

_Money don't grow on trees_

_I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed_

_There ain't nothing in this world for free_

_Oh no, I can't slow down, I can't hold back_

_Though you know, I wish I could_

_Oh no there ain't no rest for the wicked_

_Until we close our eyes for good_


	19. Chapter 19 - Our War

**A/N: Hi guys! I'm sorry, I haven't abandoned this fic I was just really struggling to write this chapter for some reason. Thank you SO much for 100 followers on this fic, it really does mean a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter and as always, would love to hear your thoughts! XO, Eden.**

* * *

_Song: Our War_

_Artist: Neon Trees_

_When we were in our youth, we had dreams that we could fly _

_We had friends that weren't visible, and love that never died _

_And as we grow old, I felt the pain that we always new the truth_

_Love would heal, if we stayed true, to the dreams of our youth_

_I been walking 'round for hours, holding onto stems of flowers_

_Just as feeling all your pain as it began to rain_

_And now it has come to this, the little victories I'll miss_

_Of everything we've over come, and all that's said and done_

While Ric had been setting up Elena's meeting with Isobel, Isobel made it very clear that she wanted to meet with Elena alone, and that there would be dire consequences if that wish was not granted. Since Damon had been the one to change Isobel, she knew his face, and obviously she knew her ex husbands face as well. So while Elena sat inside the Mystic Grill talking to Isobel; Damon, Alaric and I were waiting in the small park across the street.

Fortunately, Isobel had never met Stefan, so he was inside posing an inconspicuous bar patron. If things went really poorly, he would be able to intervene. Nonetheless, I was freaking out. I was pacing back and forth, contemplating all of the things that could go wrong during their meeting. Damon and Alaric matched my nervous energy. If I weren't so busy worrying about Elena, I would have had time to be jealous about how protective Damon was being towards her.

"We should be in there." Damon hissed.

"Agreed." I huffed.

I had tried to persuade everyone to let me be in the grill during the meeting, as Isobel had no clue who I was either, but Damon reasoned that it would be too difficult for Stefan to protect two humans if shit hit the fan. Not that I really trusted Stefan to protect me anyways. It didn't really take _too_ much convincing to keep me outside, away from Stefan.

"No." Ric replied sharply. "Isobel made it clear that we're not to step foot inside."

"I'm not gonna kill her in a crowded restaurant." Damon rolled his eyes.

"You're not going to kill her, period." Ric snapped.

"She ruined your life, and you still want to protect her?" Damon asked.

"She's my wife. Was. Was my wife." Ric corrected himself. "I looked for the woman I married but she wasn't there. Whoever that is, is . . . cold and detached."

"Yeah." Damon scoffed. "She's given up her humanity."

"Yeah see I don't get that. Stefan has his humanity. He's a good guy." I laughed in shock at Ric's statement. "Hell, you're a dick and you kill people and I still see something human in you. But with her there was . . . there was nothing."

A look of sympathy crossed Damon's face for a moment, but was quickly replaced with a scowl. Watching a friendship form between the two of them had been interesting, to say the least. They were constantly bickering with each other, but I could tell Damon was forming a soft spot for Ric. Maybe it was just him feeling a shred of remorse for turning Isobel into a vampire, but still, it was there.

"You can turn it off. Like a button you can press. I mean, Stefan's different, he wants the whole human experience, he wants to feel every episode of 'How I Met Your Mother' so he shuts his feelings out; the problem is as a vampire your instinct is not to feel." Damon pondered this for a moment and let out a slight sigh. "Isobel chose the easier road. No guilt and shame, no regret. I mean come on, if you could turn it off, wouldn't you?"

"You haven't." Ric stated.

"Of course I have Ric." Damon clicked his tongue. "That's why I'm so fun to be around."

"No, you haven't." I mumbled so low it was almost a whisper, but it was still audible enough to be picked up by Damon.

Damon scrunched his brow and turned to walk away from us. It was clear he didn't want to have this conversation anymore, not that I blamed him. His back still turned to us, he leaned against one of the cars parked in the square and kept his head turned in the direction of the grill. What I would give to have a glimpse inside his mind at that moment.

"He hasn't." I repeated, leaning against the bench that Ric was leaning on. I didn't have the vampire senses thing down to a _t_, but I was sure we were still within earshot.

"I know." Ric nodded. "I just don't understand why he's so intent on acting like he has."

I understood. Well at least, I thought I did. Damon's last memories as a human were of hurt and betrayal, from Katherine, from his father, and from Stefan. If he retained his humanity, he was opening himself up to feeling that hurt again. This way, he could pretend not to feel any of it.

Despite his pretending, I knew that he felt. From the first night I met him, I could see the emotional depth behind his eyes when he spoke of his heartbreak. That depth had only grown as I grew to know him. Damon cared. I could see it in the way he acted towards me, towards Stefan, hell even towards Elena and Alaric.

"Well it would help if you stopped treating him like the bad guy." I suggested. "You put that idea into someone's head, and they're going to start believing that it's true."

"He killed my wife, Lucy." Ric said for what felt like the thousandth time.

"It's more complicated than that and you know it." I shot back. "Have you ever stopped to consider that maybe Damon isn't the one you should be mad at for all of this? That it's just easier to be mad at him than it is to be mad at Isobel?"

Ric sighed. "You're right."

"Look, I'm not saying he's perfect. I know he isn't." I wasn't really sure whom I was trying to convince with that statement. "But neither is Stefan. So maybe you should stop trying to compare the two so much."

Ric looked over his shoulder at Damon, who was pretending that he wasn't listening to our conversation. "Are you only saying all this nice stuff about him because he can totally hear us right now?"

"No, I'm saying it because you need to hear it." I insisted.

"He's still a dick." Ric said.

I followed his eyes to the back of Damon's head and smiled. "Yeah, he is. But he's a dick that saved my life."

Ric turned back towards me. "Yeah, what exactly happened there? I was kept out of the loop on that situation."

"Hm, I know that feeling." I retorted. "I don't know. Stefan got bloodthirsty, I happened to be the first person he saw. I guess I'm just lucky that they realized I was missing."

"I'm sorry." Was all that Ric could say.

Whether he was sorry about Stefan, or sorry for not telling the truth, I wasn't sure. I didn't have time to ask, as Elena and Stefan emerged in front of us, cueing Damon to shuffle over as well. We hadn't been watching the grill to see them come out, and I was certain that Stefan had also overheard our conversation about him.

I jumped up. "Elena! Are you okay? What did she want?"

Elena looked a mess. Her eyes were watery, and all the color was drained from her face. I immediately pulled her into a hug.

"She's awful." Elena whispered.

Ric grimaced at Elena confirming what he already knew to be true about Isobel. "What did she say to you?"

"She wants Jonathan Gilbert's invention." Elena looked at Damon. "The one you have."

Damon shook his head. "Mm, nope. Not happening. Did she say why she wants it?"

Elena shrugged. "She just said that Uncle John wants it."

"And that concerns her why?" Damon raised an eyebrow.

"They've known each other for a long time." Stefan filled in. "Isobel said that John had a thing for her, and is the one that told her about vampires. Maybe she's just returning a favor to him."

"Ok, for the record I was joking about the high school sweethearts thing." Damon looked disgusted. "Doesn't matter though. If Uncle John wants the invention, I don't want him to have it. Sorry- not sorry Elena, I'm not giving it to you."

"I told her you wouldn't." Elena sniffed. "She said the blood will be on my hands then."

"It's going to be okay Elena. We'll figure something out." I tried to assure her while shooting a glare at Damon over her shoulder, urging him to rectify the situation.

Damon let out a begrudged sigh. "I think it might be time for me to pay Isobel a little visit."

"What?" Ric looked shocked. "How do you know where she is?"

"I don't. But I have a pretty strong hunch. I taught her everything she knows about being a vampire." Damon explained. "I'd invite you to come, but an altercation between two vamps is no place for a human."

"Damon, don't you dare . . ." Ric practically growled at Damon, taking a step towards him.

"Relax, Ric." Damon rolled his eyes. "She'll still be alive when I'm done with her. Well, _undead_."

"What should we do?" Elena asked.

"Nothing. Stay inside, don't invite anyone you don't know in." Damon looked between the two of us. "Maybe stick together and keep an eye on each other. I don't know how mad she'll be when I'm done talking to her."

"I can drive them back to Elena's." Stefan offered, and then looked at me. "If that's okay with you."

I just nodded in agreement. While I didn't particularly want to hang out with Stefan, I did want to be there for Elena. There was also a chance that John would be at her house, and maybe I would work up the courage to actually talk to him.

The car ride was painfully silent. Elena was understandably not in the mood to chat, and Stefan knew better than to try to make conversation with me. All I could do was stare out the window and hope that Damon wasn't doing anything horrendously stupid right now.

When we pulled into the driveway, Stefan turned off the car and sighed. "If you two want to be alone for a little bit, I can leave you be. I have an errand to run and I trust you two to not let anyone into the house."

I looked to Elena, and we both nodded in unison while she forced a smile at him. "Thank you, Stefan."

"Just don't tell Damon that I left you two unsupervised." Stefan requested.

I laughed a bit at the thought of the fight that would ensue between the two brothers in that scenario. Damon really didn't trust us to take care of ourselves. Not that I blamed him, we did have a tendency to get into sticky situations.

"I'll be back in an hour or so." He said.

"Bye Stefan." Elena kissed his cheek, sparing me the intense PDA.

I gave Stefan an awkward wave before ducking out of the backseat and following Elena into the house. She shut the door, watching through the window as Stefan backed out of the driveway.

"He _is_ trying." She said.

"I know." I replied, not wanting to fight with her right now.

"Elena, you're home." We both turned our heads towards John, who was walking towards us from the kitchen. "Where were you?"

Elena glared at him. "Out."

"Out with Stefan?" He asked.

"Out." Elena repeated.

He nodded slowly, peeling his eyes from her to look at me. "You brought your friend over . . . what was your name again, Lily?"

"Lucy." I corrected him.

"Lucy, right." John smiled with a charm that felt so rehearsed it just had to be fake.

"Do you really not know who I am?" I snapped.

His smile was replaced with a combined look of shock and discomfort, as his eyes darted from me to Elena, unsure of how to proceed with this conversation. I hadn't really planned this out; I just was so angry that this man who brought me into the world didn't even know my name.

"I'll be upstairs." Elena quickly picked up on the fact that I did actually want to speak with John, and that he wasn't going to say anything else with her standing there.

He sighed as Elena walked up the stairs. "I take it from your question that you know who I am."

"Do you know how many months I spent trying to find you?" I shot back.

"Jeremy's home." He looked nervously at the top of the staircase. "Why don't we talk in the kitchen."

Not waiting for an answer, he turned and walked into the kitchen. He motioned for me to sit down at one of the island stools, but I just shook my head. As I waited for him to speak, I searched his face trying to find some resemblance between the two of us, but there was none.

He let out a long exhale before finally breaking the silence. "Of course I know who you are. How could I not know?"

"I don't know, maybe because you haven't seen me since I was born almost eighteen years ago?" I retorted.

"I thought it was you the moment I first saw you. And then I thought that it wasn't possible, that Peter and Elise had moved away and said they wouldn't return." His eyes glazed over a bit as he spoke. "Then you told me your name, and I knew for sure."

"Did you ask them to move away?" I didn't want to waste any more time getting to my reason for speaking to him.

"Lucy, you have to understand that not watching you grow up was probably one of the most difficult things of my entire life. But the only thing more difficult would have been watching you grow up here, watching your parents give you the life that I couldn't have given you back then." He tried to explain.

"So is that really the only reason?" I pried. "That you couldn't bear to watch me grow up?"

"What other reason would there be?" He challenged.

"Vampires." I said. "I know you know about them."

John looked shocked. "There are no secrets between you and Elena, I take it."

If only he knew. I shook my head. "This is a secret I found out on my own."

He nodded slowly, pondering what to say next. "Your parents were too many years above me for our paths to have ever crossed. However, they did know my older brother, Grayson."

"Elena's dad." I filled in.

"Her adoptive father, yes." He paused for a moment. "Back then, this town wasn't so quiet about the creatures that lurk here a night. There was no worry of secrets being posted to the Internet and Mystic Falls becoming nothing more than a spectacle."

"So my parents knew?" I pressed my lips together, waiting for him to confirm my suspicions.

"We all grew up hearing the same stories." He clarified. "Whether your parents chose to see them as just stories or not, I don't know."

"You never talked to them about it?" I asked.

He narrowed his eyes inquisitively. "What reason would I have to speak with your parents about vampires?"

"I-I don't know . . ." His stare was so harsh that it made me feel embarrassed. "I thought maybe . . . I thought maybe you asked them to leave so that I would be safe from them."

"I never wanted for you girls to be involved in any of this." He shook his head. "But no, that wasn't a concern at the time. I was only fifteen, I had barely started to accept the stories as true myself."

Us girls? I mean, blatant sexism with the exclusion of Jeremy from that statement aside, I didn't know that he cared for Elena that deeply. She had just described him as the asshole Uncle who was barely present. The thought hadn't crossed my mind that he was actually concerned with her involvement with vampires.

"Right." I practically whispered.

"Is there anything else you want to know?" He offered.

"Who's my mom?" I asked.

He tilted his head, looking confused. "You don't know?"

"What? No. My parents said you arranged everything, they never even knew her name." I said.

"That's true. I just thought that . . ." He trailed off for a moment. "Never mind. It's better that you don't know."

"What do you mean? Why can't I know?" I questioned him.

"You're just better off not knowing her." He replied, as if it was a valid answer.

"I want to know." I raised my voice a bit, frustrated that he wanted to keep this from me. "You don't even have a picture of her?"

"I know I have no right to ask this of you, but trust me. Let it be." His eyes bore into mine as he spoke.

"You're right." I sneered. "You do have no right to ask this of me."

"I think we're done here." John said, his voice eerily calm.

Before I could protest any further, he turned and walked out of the kitchen. Moments later, I heard the front door open and close again. What the hell was his problem? If he was so adamant that I not know who my birth mother was, he could have just given me a fake name and I wouldn't have known any better.

That conversation got me pretty much nowhere. All I knew now was that there was the _possibility_ that my parents knew about vampires. That possibility wasn't enough for me to bring it up to them.

It felt like everything always had to have a secret tied to it here. Everyone tried to keep the vampire secret from me. John was adamant that I not know the identity of my birth mother. I was hiding the truth about the car crash from Elena. Maybe I deserved to have things kept from me. I wasn't exactly the queen of being up front over here.

I composed myself as I trudged up the stairs to Elena's bedroom, where I found her writing in her diary. She closed it and looked up at me when she heard me enter.

"How was John?" She asked tentatively.

I shrugged. "You've met him."

"Not well, huh?" She picked up quickly. "I take it you had something you wanted to talk to him about."

"A couple something's." I plopped onto the bed next to her. "Not that he was really open to talking about anything with me."

"I'm sorry." Elena said. "Do you want to talk about any of it?"

"I just . . . my parents were- are so weird every time I bring up John, my mom literally said she thought it was 'safe' to move back when they heard that he had left Mystic Falls." I spilled to her. "And John won't even tell me who my birth mother is. I don't know. It all gives me an uneasy feeling."

"Well, what do you think they're hiding?" She asked me.

"I don't know if my parents know about vampires, if that's why they left, or if that's why John asked them to leave. He says he doesn't know if they know or not; not that I have any reason to trust him." I told her.

She mulled it over for a moment. "What would it change if you found out that your parents did know?"

"I don't know. Nothing, I guess. I wouldn't blame them for keeping it from me. I just kind of want to keep them out of all of this. They've been through enough." _We all have_, I thought. "Has John always been an ass?"

"Oddly enough, no. I actually remember him being a really cool uncle when I was little." A small smile crossed Elena's face as she remembered her childhood. "It wasn't until I maybe turned six or so that he just kind of stopped showing up so often. Jeremy only ever knew him as the uncle that showed up on holidays with a cool toy, so he doesn't resent him so much. Only I know that he used to actually _be_ there."

"Weird." I said. "I guess family just isn't his strong suit."

"You can say that again." Elena rolled her eyes at the thought of him. "Do you want to sleep over tonight?"

I smiled. "I thought that was a given."

Despite everything going on, we somehow managed to have an actual nice normal evening. Jenna picked up a pizza on the way home, which we all ate together. After dinner, I even played video games with Jeremy for a little bit. Okay, I invited myself to play video games with Jeremy until he unplugged my controller and said I had to leave because I suck. But still, it was fun to hang out with my other cousin and my Aunt, even if they didn't know we were related.

John still hadn't come back by the time Elena and I went back upstairs for the evening. I'm not sure where he went, as he was staying at the Gilbert house while in town, but he clearly wanted to avoid me. At one point, I looked out the window and saw that Stefan's car was parked across the street. He was keeping an eye on us, making sure that no danger was around while still letting us just have a fun night together. It was a nice gesture on his end.

I had just gotten out of the shower and changed into a pair of Elena's plaid pajama pants and one of her sweatshirts, and Elena was just getting into the shower. Hopefully there was enough hot water left for her; I had a tendency to take unnecessarily long showers. As I shut her bathroom door behind me, I jumped as I realized that Damon was leaning against the wall closest to her window seat.

"Damon." I gasped. "Elena didn't tell me you were here."

"That's because she doesn't know." He smirked. "I just snuck in, had to get past Stefan first. Wanted to see what it is that you girls really get up to at sleepovers."

"Ew doesn't be gross." I wrinkled my nose. "What are you really doing here?"

"Bringing you this." He held up his hand, and I actually felt my heart skip a beat.

He was holding my locket, the one that Stefan tore off my neck and threw into the woods. I recognized the etched flowers and the emerald stone almost instantly, and I felt my eyes well with tears at the sight of it.

"My necklace." I choked. "How did you find it?"

"I didn't. Stefan did." Damon explained. "I think it's meant to be a peace offering, or a way of relieving his guilt."

"Don't." I warned him. "Don't ask me to forgive him. I'm getting enough of that from everyone else right now."

He held up his hands. "I'm not asking you to forgive him. That's why I'm here. I told him that him giving you the necklace would just make you uncomfortable."

I nodded. Again, for someone who claimed to not feel anything, he sure was showing a surprising amount of empathy right now. I reached out for the necklace, and he pulled his hand away.

"Not yet. One more thing." Damon put his free hand on my cheek, causing it to flush with warmth. "No nightmares tonight."

His eyes dilated as his spoke, and I knew that it was a command. It really was sweet that he was concerned about me having nightmares. I knew that under his compulsion, my mind would have no choice but to give me a peaceful night's sleep.

"What, only tonight? What about every other night?" I joked, wanting to take the weight off of the kind gesture that he had just shown me.

He winked. "Well, I need an excuse to sneak into your room another night."

"Damon!" I couldn't help but giggle at his response.

"Come on." He motioned for me to turn around, and I pulled my hair aside so that he could fasten the clasp. "I had to have the chain replaced, but everything else is the same."

"It's perfect." I closed my hand around the locket, and turned back towards him. "Thank you. For bringing it to me."

His mouth formed a small, albeit genuine smile. "It's me who should be thanking you."

I tilted my head. "For what?"

"I heard what you said to Alaric earlier." He explained. "You're always on my side."

"Well, someone has to be." I teased him.

"I'm glad it's you." He said. "I should go. Get some sleep, Stefan and I will be outside all night if you two need anything."

I wondered why he and Stefan both felt the need to be here, looking over us. "What happened with Isobel?"

Damon's brow furrowed. "We'll talk about it tomorrow, with everyone there. Don't worry about it right now. Good night, Lucy."

"Good night, Damon." I said.

I was speaking to the air. By the time the words left my mouth, he was already gone, leaving the window slightly cracked behind it. I walked over to close it, and peered out at the shadow of Stefan's car. I couldn't see inside, but I knew that he could see me. Closing my hand around my necklace again, I mouthed _thank you_, and nodded towards the driver's side. Then I pulled the window closed, and crawled into Elena's bed.

I was already dozing off by the time Elena got out of the shower. My eyes were closed, but I felt her get into bed next to me and turn off the light.

"Lucy? Are you awake?" She whispered. "Were you talking to someone while I was in the shower?"

"Mm. Damon." I rolled over. "Brought my necklace."

"What? He found your necklace?" She asked.

"Mm-mm. Stefan did. Damon brought it though." I mumbled. "Night-night, Elena."

She chuckled a bit at my tired slurring. "Good night, Lucy."

For the first time in months, I drifted into a truly peaceful sleep. No nightmares about Stefan, Brandon, or anything else. It was all thanks to Damon. I wished it could be like that every night.

* * *

_I'm leaving our war behind, life can go on without you_

_I'm leaving our war behind, the night that I leave town_

_The walls that you and me take down are only taller now_

_And I have even forgotten how to stand on my two feet_

_How honestly I am on my own, I happier to be alone_

_Everything I do alone has everything of you_

I woke up feeling rather well rested and ready to take on the day. There was more Founders' Day prep to do today; we had to actually _build_ the floats for the parade. Apparently Elena had texted Stefan, and he and Damon would be filling us in on Damon's visit with Isobel after our Founder's Day prep. I don't know why the two of them were so determined on having Elena and I do normal high school activities; it seemed to me that the ship had sailed on us having a normal high school experience.

I was waiting by the door for Elena, coffee in hand, as she bounded down the stairs with her school bag. Just as we were about to head out, there was a knock at the door. She and I exchanged tentative glances with each other.

"Wait," I stopped her as she reached for the doorknob. "It could be Isobel."

"Well, if it's a vampire they need to be invited in anyways." Elena shrugged, and opened the door, looking shocked at who was behind it. "Hi."

"Hey." Bonnie said, hands in pocket and looking visibly uncomfortable.

Bonnie glanced at me, and it was apparent that she hadn't been expecting me to be here. The two of them clearly had some long-term friend business to discuss, that didn't include me.

"I'll wait in the car." I offered, and Elena handed me her keys.

A few minutes later, Elena got into the car. Her makeup was a little messed up, and her eyes a bit red, but she was actually smiling.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked.

"We will be." Elena assured me. "We're going to talk more at school. Wouldn't want to be late and get chewed out by Caroline."

Amen to that. I wasn't really sure what the rift between Bonnie and Elena was, but it was very obvious that it had to do with the vampires. I always thought that werewolves were supposed to be the moral enemy of vampires (thank god there weren't any of those in Mystic Falls), but maybe it was witches. Or maybe Bonnie just didn't vibe with the whole drinking blood thing, which was also completely understandable.

At school, Elena quickly took off to meet up with Bonnie again. I went over to Caroline, knowing that she would have something for me to do. She quickly tasked me with hanging red tinsel from her float. While I was doing so, Jeremy came up to me, looking stressed. He had left unusually early this morning.

"Hey Lucy, have you seen Elena?" He asked me.

"I think she's in the school somewhere, she should be out soon." I replied. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah I just haven't heard back from my girlfriend in a little bit," Jeremy sighed. "I was hoping Elena had seen her."

"Ooh Jeremy has a girlfriend." I teased him. Maybe not the most appropriate time.

He rolled his eyes. "Ok. Tell Elena I was looking for her?"

He sauntered off. Yeah, okay. Maybe I wasn't doing so well at this whole older cousin thing. He definitely thought I was Elena's weird friend or something. But if he knew I was his cousin, he'd totally like me!

It was a while later when Elena finally came up to me, her usual worried expression on her face. "Have you seen Stefan?"

"No, I haven't. But Jeremy's looking for you." I told her.

She grimaced. "Yep. He found me."

"What's wrong Elena?" I asked her.

"Jeremy knows. His girlfriend is related to one of the tomb vampires." She replied with a very low voice. "Come on, we need to go find Stefan."

She grabbed my hand, and led me away from the Miss Mystic float. We only took a few steps before she stopped dead in her tracks when we came face to face with a woman.

"Isobel." She gasped.

So this was Isobel in the flesh. She blended in well, her hair pulled into a perfectly curled ponytail and her fair skin hidden beneath a trendy brown trench coat. From a distance, she would pass perfectly as a PTA mom or something. But from just a couple feet apart, I could see the hollow lifelessness in her eyes. It was harrowing.

"What are you doing here?" Elena asked, digging her nails into my hand.

"I'm your mother, Elena." Isobel feigned offense. "I want to be more involved in your life."

Elena shook her head. "I don't want you in my life."

"I understand that. You already have a lot of people that you care about." Isobel smiled sweetly. "But I've been studying. Let's see if I got this right. There is the witchy best friend Bonnie . . . gonna stay away from _that one_. Oh, sad little brother Jeremy. And there's Caroline, obnoxious Caroline. I got all of my info from her, by the way. She had no idea who I was, and she wouldn't stop yapping."

When was this? It had to have been before I got there, right? God, I hope I hadn't missed Isobel prying information out of Caroline less than six feet away from me.

"We can't forget one of the most important ones, what was it, your _cousin_?" Isobel turned to me, causing Elena to take a half step in front of me. "John didn't tell me you were back in town, Lucy."

"Why would-" I tried to ask, but she cut me off.

"Don't underestimate how close John and I are, girls. Don't worry Lucy, we'll catch up another time." She glared and then turned to look at one of the floats. "Oh, and there's Matt. Friend, ex, yappy's future ex. Lot's of connections there."

"Matt's not involved with us." Elena tried to sound tough, but was clearly scared.

"He's involved with you, isn't he?" Isobel asked, but it was more of a statement.

"You shouldn't be here." Elena's voice was a little less shaky. "You need to leave."

"No. I have some friends here too. Look- see that man over there standing next to Matt by the float? His name is Frank. He's very handsome." We looked over to see a blonde man peering around the float. "And he's also quite handy, and he noticed that the axle was kind of rusted, which is very dangerous. So all you have to do is apply a little bit of pressure and-"

"NO!" Elena shouted, as Frank jumped on top of the float.

Instantly, it buckled, and Matt let out a pained yell as the weight came crushing down on the arm that he was working on the float with. Elena tried to run towards him, but Isobel caught her in a painful looking grasp.

"Hey! Pick this trailer up! Come on, guys. Lift it up, please!" Matt shouted.

Tyler directed the guys around him. "Come on, lift!"

The guys struggled to lift it up, but I noticed Stefan run over and join them. With his aid, the trailer lifted with ease. He probably could have done it alone, but it was better that he didn't. It drew less attention that way. Stefan instructed Caroline to call an ambulance, and she crouched by Matt's side.

"Why are you doing this?" Elena struggled against Isobel's grasp.

"I'm showing you how easy it is to hurt the people that you care about." Isobel replied in a monotone voice.

"You're doing this just because of Jonathan Gilbert's invention?" Elena asked.

"Hand it over, and the fun will stop." Isobel instructed.

"I told you, Damon's not going to give it to me." Elena pleaded with her.

"And I think you underestimate how much Damon cares about you." Isobel said.

Elena shook her head. "He'll kill you before he gives it up."

"Is that before or after I kill your sibling?" Isobel questioned.

Our eyes shot over to where Jeremy had been standing. He wasn't there. "Jeremy? Jeremy!"

When we turned back around for answers, Isobel was gone. She had done this. Her little minion Frank had taken Jeremy. God, I wish I had a stake. I'd find her and shove it in her myself. She needed to back away from my family. Stefan heard Elena's frantic voice, and rushed over to us.

"What happened?" He asked, immediately taking Elena into his arms.

"Isobel was here." Elena cried. "She took Jeremy."

"Shh, shh." He tried to comfort her, while looking around the lot to see if there was any sign of Jeremy. "Okay. Damon and I are going to find him. It'll be okay, Elena. I promise."

"What if she hurts him? Or worse?" Elena sobbed.

"We'll get to him before that can happen." Stefan promised her. "Lucy, I don't think you should be here anymore. You need to go home, where she can't get to you. You too, Elena."

"No." Elena wiped her eyes. "I'm coming with you and Damon."

"I didn't drive here." I said.

"Okay. We'll drop you off at home on our way to the house." Stefan nodded. "We should meet Damon there, make a plan of attack. Have either of you seen Alaric?"

We both shook our head. I wanted to protest, and come with them to look for Jeremy, but I knew that it wasn't the time. Plus, I would just be another human in the way. It wouldn't be easy for Damon and Stefan to look out for Elena, Jeremy, _and_ me.

Stefan tried to call Damon while driving, but it just went to voicemail. Hopefully he was already at the house. He then called Ric, and I could hear him yelling curse words through the phone before agreeing to meet at the Salvatore house. The ride was tense, and while Stefan didn't drive quite as recklessly as Damon, he was still speeding quite a bit.

He pulled up to my house, and I leaned forward towards Elena before getting out. "Keep me updated, okay?"

She nodded. "I will."

I squeezed her shoulder. "It'll be okay, Elena."

"Lucy, stay inside. I mean it." Stefan looked at me, his face stony.

I nodded, and got out of the car, not wanting to waste any more of their time. I had barely shut the door before they sped off. After taking a moment to compose myself, I went in the front door.

"Hello?" I called out. "Anyone here?"

"Lucy, honey." I breathed a sigh of relief at my mom's voice; I did not want to be home alone right now. "I'm in the kitchen. My friend Lauren is here."

I put a smile on my face as I walked into the kitchen. I froze as soon as I saw who was sitting at the table, drinking tea with my mom. _Isobel_. How did she get here so quickly? It was barely half an hour ago that she was at the school, threatening Jeremy. I couldn't let on that something was wrong. Not in front of my mom. I had to get Isobel away from her.

"Hi Lauren, I'm Lucy." If my mom noticed my voice crack, she didn't say anything. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Lucy." Isobel smiled.

"Mom, how did you and Lauren meet?" I asked my mom.

"Oh you know, we just go way back. It's like we've been friends forever." I noticed my mom's vacant expression when she answered my question, and realized that she had been compelled. Dammit, I hadn't even considered getting my parents vervain. "How was Elena's, honey?"

"It was good, the usual girls night." I feigned surprise. "Oh my god, I just realized I left my phone there. I have to go back and get it. I'll be back later, mom. So nice to meet you, Lauren."

"Alright, by honey!" Mom said.

My phone was safe in my sweatshirt pocket, but I had to lead Isobel away from her. It was a risky move. I was assuming, _hoping_, that Isobel was there to talk to me. If I was wrong, I was leaving my mom alone with her. I grabbed my keys from the hook by the garage door, and headed out to my car.

Sure enough, a few moments later and Isobel opened the door and gave me a menacing smile. In a flash, she was by me and had me pinned against my car door.

"I told you we'd get the chance to catch up." She jammed her arm across my chest.

"Isobel," I gasped, barely able to breathe under the weight of her strength. "Where's Jeremy? What do you want?"

"Well, you know what I want. I want Jonathan Gilbert's device." Her eyes narrowed. "Like I said, I've been studying. Not just Elena, but Damon too. I had just assumed that since he loved Katherine, he would love Elena too. But I was wrong."

"What does that have to do with-"

"QUIET." She commanded. "You see, Jeremy was just my insurance policy, in case my original hunch was correct, and he does love Elena. But I think I was going after the wrong girl, originally. Problem is, now that I've figured it out, I'm running out of time. I can't play nice anymore."

I didn't have time to question what she wanted from me. Without so much as flinching, she raised her free arm to her mouth, and bit into her wrist. She shoved it against my mouth, and I was overwhelmed with the tasted of blood. I tried to struggle, but it was absolutely useless.

Her wrist was blocking my nose, and it wasn't long before I was dizzy from not being able to breathe. I had no choice but to swallow the blood that was in my mouth, and I gasped for air after doing so. Before my eyes, her wrist healed, and she moved her hand to caress my hair.

"Tell Damon that he has twenty-four hours to give me the device before I come snap your neck." She whispered into my ear. "_Because I do believe in killing the messenger._"

And then she was gone, leaving me shaking and covered in her blood. I had to get away from there. I couldn't risk my mom finding me like this. There was absolutely no way to explain that.

I fumbled with my keys to open my door and start my car. On autopilot, I backed out of the garage and onto the street. I was shaking so hard I could barely grasp the steering wheel. After driving a few blocks, I pulled over. I knew I shouldn't be driving like this, that wasn't a mistake I would make twice in life. I just needed to get away from home. I reached into my pocket to pull out my phone, dialing the number of the person I knew I could trust.

"Can you come pick me up," I whimpered. "Something happened."

* * *

_I'm leaving our war behind, life can go on without you_

_I'm leaving our war behind, the night that I leave town_

_Don't tell me to just avoid living my life without you_

_I'm leaving our war behind the night that I leave town_

_All my life it's always the same thing_

_All my life it's always the same thing_


	20. Chapter 20 - It Is What It Is

**A/N: Hi guys! Sorry it's been SO long. I started my senior year of college three weeks ago and it's been very busy. The good news is that you don't need to tell me how much of a trash gremlin I am, as I already know. Thank you SO much for your patience and support. I can't believe this has 125 follows. You guys are the best! Thank you as always to KimmyWSmith for proofreading for me. **

**Also I met Ian Somerhalder and it was so awesome! If anyone wants to see my pictures with him feel free to DM me; I don't really want to post me Instagram username on here but I'm definitely down to share the photos as they're super exciting. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. XO, Eden. **

* * *

_Song: It Is What It Is_

_Band: Lifehouse_

_I was only looking for a shortcut home_

_But it's complicated_

_So complicated_

_Somewhere in this city is a road I know_

_Where we could make it_

_But maybe there's no making it now_

_Too long we've been denying_

_Now we're both tired of trying_

_We hit a wall and we can't get over it_

_Nothing to relive, it's_

_Water under the bridge_

_You said it, I get it, I guess it is what it is_

* * *

It only took Damon minutes to get to me after I hung up the phone. He got out of his car, worry etched on his face as he took in my appearance. The moment I locked eyes with him, I took in a sharp inhale and choked out a sob. At a speed too quick for me to register, he was suddenly right in front of me.

"What happened?" He demanded to know. "Whose blood is that?"

I just shook my head; my face wet with tears, and threw my arms around his neck. For a split second, he stiffened at the gesture, and then he wrapped his arms around me in return. I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face in his shoulder, wishing I could block out the rest of the world.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. Whatever it is, we'll fix it." He tried to assure me.

Unable to calm my breathing, I felt myself getting dizzy and thought for sure that I would collapse if it weren't for Damon's arms gripping me tightly. I just wanted to sink into him. But I knew that we couldn't stay here in the middle of the street forever. At any second, Isobel could change her mind about giving me twenty-four hours, and come back and snap my neck.

"Lucy, you're scaring me." He pulled back just a little bit. "What's wrong?"

I looked up at him. "Is everyone at your house? They need to know."

He nodded. "Come on, let's go."

Keeping an arm around me, he led me to the passenger seat of his car and opened the door for me. In a daze, I got in and pulled the seatbelt around myself. Thankfully, Damon picked up on the fact that this wasn't the time for his usual driving antics, and drove a little less chaotic than usual as we made our way to his house.

Once at the Salvatore mansion, he opened the front door and motioned for me to be quiet. He took my hand and led me towards the steps.

"Why are we going upstairs?" I whispered. "Where is everyone?"

"They're in the library." Damon replied. "But you're going to give Elena and Stefan a heart attack if you walk in there looking like that."

Though I knew the way by now, I let him lead me towards his bedroom and into the bathroom. He grabbed a washcloth and ran it under water before handing it to me."

"Here." He said. "I'll be right back."

I stared in the mirror as I wiped Isobel's blood off of me. She really managed to make quite a mess, staining a good portion of my face, neck, and shirt. My shirt was ruined, and by the time I cleaned the blood off of my skin, the washcloth was as well. I had a strong suspicion that this wasn't the first item of Damon's that was ruined cleaning up blood.

Damon came back into the room and handed me a black shirt, turning around to let me change. Wordlessly, I slipped on the Henley and discarded my shirt and washcloth in the waste bin. I rolled up the sleeves on the shirt, throwing one last glance in the mirror. At least now I didn't look like I had just gone on a killing spree.

"Alright." I sighed. "Let's go."

Damon looped his arm around my shoulders, giving me a comforting squeeze as he did so. We walked into the library to find Stefan, Elena, and Bonnie all huddled together having an intense conversation that was too quiet for me to pick up on. I felt a slight pang in my chest at the sight of Bonnie. I got sent home while she was invited here? Sure, she was a witch, but Jeremy was my family. Plus, none of this would have happened if they had just let me come with them in the first place. Apparently, Ric had yet to arrive.

Stefan was the first to look up, no doubt his senses picking up on the sound of our footsteps, and he cleared his throat to alert the others to our presence. Elena and Bonnie both looked over, their brows immediately scrunching at the sight of Damon and I together.

"Lucy?" Elena was clearly surprised to see me. "What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

I shook my head. "Isobel."

"Isobel what? You heard from Isobel? Did she say anything about Jeremy?" Elena immediately bombarded me with questions at the mention of Isobel.

"Isobel was at my house. When I got home." I said. "She compelled my mom and she-"

"Isobel was in your house?" Damon's head snapped towards Stefan. "Tell me you didn't just leave her alone _knowing_ we have a murderous no-humanity vampire on the loose."

"We were a little preoccupied with the fact that she just kidnapped Jeremy." Stefan shot back. "Which you would know, if you picked up the phone."

"Next time send an email." Damon leered at Stefan.

"Would you two stop for two seconds?" Elena snapped. "Lucy, what did Isobel want?"

"Well, when I saw her I ran out of the house, hoping to get her away from my mom . . ." I could feel tears starting to form in my eyes again at the memory of Isobel's threat. "She wants the device by tomorrow, or else . . . or else . . ."

"Or else what?" Elena pressed me to continue, despite me being rather choked up with tears.

"No." Damon sounded, and I knew that he had connected the dots. "Tell me she didn't."

I nodded. "She did."

Three confused pairs of eyes watched us as we had this exchange. Only Damon had been there to see the blood on my face; the rest of them were fully in the dark.

Of course, Elena was the first to break the silence. "What did she do?"

"She fed me her blood." I practically whispered. "She threatened to turn me into a vampire."

Elena and Bonnie both gasped; it was the first noise I had heard from Bonnie. As the two other humans in the room, they fully understood the gravity of the threat, and what I had to lose.

"Lucy, what exactly did she say to you?" Damon practically growled.

"She said you have 24 hours to give her the device, or she'll snap my neck. Because she believes in killing the messenger." I recited Isobel's words before choking out another sob.

"God DAMNIT." Damon yelled.

He turned away and drove his fist towards the nearest wall, which just happened to be a wall of books. With a loud crack as he broke one of the shelves, dozens of books came tumbling to the ground.

"God that little . . ." Damon fumed. "I am going to kill her. I swear to god I will _kill her_."

"Brother." Stefan warned, no doubt wishing to stop Damon before he destroyed their entire home in his rage.

"What are we going to do?" I asked, as Damon resumed his position by my side, his chest still rapidly rising and falling with rage. "We can't kill Isobel."

Everyone gave me a questioning look, to which Elena filled in for me. "Ric. We can't kill Isobel because of Ric. We have to give her the device. It's the only option."

"Absolutely not." Damon replied to that notion.

"Just hear me out-" Elena tried to reason with him before he cut her off.

"I'm not gonna give the device to Isobel, so she can give it to John, who's going to turn around and kill me." Damon remained firm in his stance. "I like being a living dead person."

"But it'll be useless. Bonnie can take the power away." Elena explained.

So that's why Bonnie's witchy presence was required. They had come up with a way to render the device useless, making it safe to hand over to Isobel. Though I strongly doubted that once she and John realized it didn't work that they would just give up and peacefully leave town, it was a solution that could buy us time.

"I don't trust her." Damon glared at Bonnie.

"I can remove the original spell." Bonnie crossed her arms and spoke to Damon with a defiance that was shocking coming from a person who I gathered to typically be rather quiet.

Elena nodded. "John and Isobel will never know."

Damon pressed his lips into a firm line for just a second, as if he was actually considering the proposition, and then shook his head. "No. No, I'll get Jeremy my own way, and we'll guard Lucy until the blood is out of her system."

"Really? How are you gonna do that, hm?" Stefan interjected. "Because Isobel is a vampire, and Jeremy could be dead the second you walk in the door."

"And even if you do get Jeremy out safely, then what? She's been invited in; my house isn't safe. You two can't guard me forever." I put my hand on his arm. "Please, Damon. You know this is our best option right now."

Damon exhaled and looked to Bonnie, his brow twitching ever so slightly. "Are you even up for this? I mean no offense; you're no Emily Bennett. Emily knew what she was doing."

"I've been practicing." Bonnie glared at him, understandably offended by his implications.

"It's not piano lessons, honey." Damon snapped.

"What's your favorite book?" Bonnie demanded as she paced over to him, assuming a stand off position.

Damon rolled his eyes. "What?"

"Name a book. Any book." She replied.

"Name a book? How about . . . "Call of the Wild", Jack London." Damon entertained her request.

Bonnie gave Damon one more stony glare before turning away from him and closing her eyes in concentration. From the pile of books that Damon had knocked over, a leather bound book flew towards him. Barely even glancing at it, Damon reached out to catch it.

"Jack London." He examined the cover. "Great parlor trick."

"We're doing this, Damon." Elena snapped at him. "And we're doing it my way. Now give me the device. We're wasting time."

"I don't trust you." Damon addressed Bonnie. "I tried to kill you."

Wait, what? Damon tried to kill Bonnie? Clearly, this had happened before I arrived in town. But why? It was apparent that vampires and witches had some deep rooted bad blood, but Bonnie didn't seem like the type of person who could warrant anger, even from Damon. More importantly, why had no one told me about this?

"Hmm, you're right. You can't trust me." Bonnie agreed.

"But you can trust me." Elena mustered an expression towards Damon that was so affectionate it made my blood boil. "Please. If not for Jeremy and me, do it for Lucy. You know this is the best option."

Damon searched Elena's face for the slightest intimation that she was lying to him. She remained wide-eyed, subtly batting her eyelashes. I couldn't believe that she was attempting to use her resemblance to Katherine to sway Damon, especially in front of Stefan. I looked to Stefan, who had the same concern etched on his face at the interaction between his brother and his girlfriend. Sensing my gaze, he looked to me and we had a silent exchange. It was the first interaction I had with Stefan that didn't leave me churning with discomfort since that night in the woods.

With a pained expression on his face, Damon reached into his pocket and pressed the small metal device into Elena's outstretched palm. I didn't miss that he gave her hand a slight squeeze as he did so, and I was sure that Stefan didn't either.

"Thank you." Elena's voice was so strained it was barely more audible than a whisper.

Damon's gaze on her never faltered, though his jaw became tenser and his eyes turned a bit steely. He didn't reply, and instead turned away from her. For a moment, I thought that he was going to storm out of the room, but he just stood behind me, almost as if using me as a shield between him and Elena.

"Okay." Bonnie took the liberty of breaking the more than awkward silence. "Let's get started."

Elena snapped out of her staring contest with Damon. "What do you need from us?"

"Candles." Bonnie said, before shooting another wary glance at Damon. "And quiet."

"Damon, why don't you go get some candles for Bonnie?" Stefan instructed Damon before he could come up with a snarky response to Bonnie.

"Fine. Someone call the teacher. We'll need him to arrange a meeting with _Isobel_." Damon practically spat her name out as he turned to leave the room.

"He's already on the way here." Stefan called after Damon.

Bonnie began shuffling through a rather old looking book that I assumed had some instructions for how to remove the spell. I took the little intermission as an opportunity to plop myself down on the couch. To say it had been a long day would be an understatement. It seemed that I'd had a lot of long days here in Mystic Falls. Stefan followed me to the couch, and sat in the little space that I had left open. Odd, he's been pretty respectful about leaving me my space.

"Lucy, I can't apologize to you enough," He began. "Damon was right, I should have made sure you got inside safely. This shouldn't have happened."

I sighed. "It's not your fault, Stefan. You guys were focused on Jeremy. We all were."

As I spoke, I realized that I really did mean what I was saying. It would be so easy to blame Stefan for not being there to protect me from Isobel, but as much discomfort as I felt towards Stefan, I couldn't bring myself to be angry with him for something that wasn't his fault. There was no denying that there was a giant ice block between us, but I could feel it slowly chipping away.

"That's no excuse." Elena sat on the arm of the sofa next to me. "We should have also been thinking of you. You're family too."

"It's okay, really." I actually managed to smile a bit, mostly at Elena's inclusion of me as her family. "We're fixing it. Thanks to Bonnie."

Bonnie glanced up for just a moment from her book to shoot us something that resembled a smile. This was the second time she was using her witch powers to save my life, and I barely even knew her. I hoped now that the rift between her and Elena had passed that I would get the chance to know her better. She had already proven herself to be an amazing friend; I could only hope to return the favor.

"It's not okay." Elena shook her head. "None of this is _okay._"

"Well, obviously." I replied dryly. "But none of us could have expected Isobel to be at my house. I sure didn't."

"We should have. She made a point to say that she would catch up with you later while we were at school." Elena reminded me.

"Yeah, that didn't make any sense to me." I commented. "She seemed so offended that John didn't tell her I was in town, but why the hell would she even care?"

"Am I the only one around here who has the ability to put two and two together?" Damon questioned as he strolled back into the room, holding the candles that Bonnie had requested.

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked, already appearing exasperated at his presence.

"Isobel. Hello?" He replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "She dated John when she was fifteen. She gets pregnant and ends up at the doctor's office of John's brother. Now what do you think John's role is in all of this, huh? I mean, go ahead, think about it. I'll wait."

I stared blankly at him. I didn't even have to look at Stefan and Elena to know that their expression matched mine. I wasn't stupid; I knew what Damon was implying. I just couldn't believe that he was suggesting it in such a tactless way.

"You get it? You there yet?" Damon pressed.

"So you think that John is Elena's father?" Stefan took the burden of answering him.

Damon's face formed a wicked grin. "Ding ding ding."

"What proof do you have?" Stefan frowned.

"I don't need the proof. That's a DNA test for John, Elena, and Maury Povich." Damon retorted.

"But that's not possible." Elena said. "John is Lucy's dad."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it possible?"

"So you're saying. . ." Elena pondered his statement. "You think that Lucy and I are sisters."

"Not just sisters." I shook my head. "Twins."

"That's not possible." Elena repeated.

As much as I wanted to agree with her, I had to entertain the possibility. We were both adopted. Elena didn't know who her birth father was. John refused to tell me who my birth mother was. What if it was true? What if that was the reason Elena and I had formed a near instantaneous friendship upon meeting? If that was why I could never stay mad at her? If that was why Damon said I too, reminded him of Katherine?

"Elena," I spoke cautiously. "When is your birthday?"

"June twenty second." She answered. "When is yours?"

"June twenty second." I whispered.

How was this possible? How could we have missed this? In the short time that I had known Elena, so much had happened that I felt so bonded to her. I hadn't realized that I didn't even know her birthday.

As shocking as it was, deep down it all made sense. John's shared sentiment towards Elena and I now made sense. The fact that he wanted us to leave Mystic Falls made sense. My bond with Elena made sense.

Yet, I was left with so many new questions. Why were Elena and I separated at birth? Did my parents know about her? I couldn't accept that my parents allowed me to be separated from my twin, but the likelihood that they did was very high. The worst question of all though, was why Isobel would be willing to turn her own daughter into a vampire, just for some old device?

"So it's true." Elena stared blankly at the floor. "You and I are twins. Isobel's your mom too."

I just nodded in reply. I knew she must have been struggling to process this as well. She hated John, and I was beginning to despise him more and more by the second. What gave him the right to keep the fact that Isobel was my mother a secret from me? That Elena was my twin sister?

Damon cleared his throat, and I looked up to see him uncomfortable looking across the room. I followed his eyes to see . . . Ric. Shit. His face was sheet white, and understandably so. He'd just walked in on a conversation that revealed that he has not one, but two step-daughters that his vampire ex-wife had kept a secret from him. That sentence alone was a lot to process.

"Hi. Um . . . the door was unlocked . . ." He mumbled awkwardly. "If this is a bad time I can come back . . ."

"No, you're here at a great time." Bonnie answered while deliberately avoiding eye contact with Elena and I. "We were just about to get started."

"You should really learn to knock, brother." Damon was still grimacing, but his voice was laden with sarcasm.

I glared at him. This wasn't the time for cracking jokes. He knew that Ric was coming over, too, and still thought that this was the best time to bring up his theory on Elena and I. To say that I was pissed at him for how he brought that up would be a massive understatement. Damon was always there for me, and I trusted him more than anyone in the room, barring _maybe_ Elena, but god, he could be an ass.

"The lights, Damon." Bonnie instructed.

Knowing that there was a plethora of things that would need to be discussed later, we all gathered around to turn our attention to Bonnie. After looking at the book in front of her, Bonnie took a metal disc out of a small compact, and set it on the table.

Bonnie held her hands out, and the disc began to levitate. This was my first time witnessing her magic in a fully conscious state, and I was awestruck. Bonnie closed her eyes in concentration, and the lights in the room all began to flicker. The flames in the fireplace behind her shot up so high that I could feel the heat from them, even from my position over five feet away. As Bonnie opened her eyes, the lights went back to normal and the disc fell back onto the table.

"Done." Bonnie said, as casually as if she had just finished a glass of water. "Can I go now?"

"You can, but you don't have to." Elena replied.

Bonnie looked between Damon and Stefan. "Yeah, I'm gonna go."

She left the room so quickly I wasn't sure if she even heard the "thank yous" that Elena and I called after her. If she did, she sure didn't acknowledge it.

"Great." Damon rolled her eyes, knowing that his vampiric presence was the reason that Bonnie didn't want to stay. "Now what?"

Elena picked up the disc, eyeing it carefully as if looking for some intimation that it no longer worked. "Now we give it to Isobel."

Damon turned to Ric with a sardonic grin on his face. "Hey buddy, how do you feel about giving your ex wife a call?"

"Would anyone mind explaining to me what the hell is going on?" Ric asked.

"Isobel kidnapped Jeremy, and force fed Lucy her blood with the promise of killing them both if she doesn't get what she wants. So we're going to give it to her. Only, it's not what she wants because witchy did her witchy-woo and now it no longer works. It's quite riveting, really. _Call her._" Damon's eyes narrowed; he was clearly getting impatient.

"Fine." Ric finally agreed, and pulled out his phone. "Isobel? I'm with Elena. She has something for you. Mhmm. Ok."

He hung up, and looked at Elena. "Half an hour. Town Square."

"Great." Damon clapped his hands together. "Field trip. Everybody, let's go."

I recoiled at his suggestion. "I am _not_ going."

Damon frowned. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course you are."

I crossed my arms. "I don't want to see Isobel."

"It's the safest place for you. Stefan and I will be there, she can't hurt you." Damon tried to argue with me. "You can't go home; if she changes her mind, she's already been invited in. You definitely can't stay here; anyone can come in."

"You can come with me, Lucy." Ric offered. "I sure as hell don't want to see Isobel either."

Damon opened his mouth to protest, but paused when he saw my glare. Though he was more than capable of throwing me over his shoulder and forcing me to come with him, he was smart enough to know that that wouldn't benefit anybody. From what I gathered, there was no one that knew how to fight a vampire better than Ric. I'd definitely be safe at his apartment.

"We'll pick you up as soon as we're done." The way that Damon spoke indicated that it was non-negotiable.

"You should spend the night at my house tonight." Elena said. "You know, just in case."

Just in case Isobel realizes we tricked her and decides to come snap my neck. Yeah, that was probably a good idea. When I met Elena's eye to nod in agreement, I knew that wasn't all there was to it. We definitely needed to have a talk about our newfound sisterhood.

"Right." Ric cleared his throat. "We should all get going then."

We all went to the front of the Salvatore manor, where Elena and Ric's cars were parked. I gave Elena one last apologetic look as I got into Ric's white SUV. I felt kind of bad that I was leaving her to face Isobel alone, but the feeling of dread I felt at the mere thought of seeing Isobel again outweighed the feeling of guilt.

As Ric opened the door to get in his car, Damon put a hand on his shoulder, and gave him a very warning glare. "If anything happens to her . . ."

"I'll be fine, Damon. You'll be with the real danger." I cut him off and forced a smile. "I'll see you guys in a little bit."

The drive was understandably awkward. I highly doubted that babysitting a student who had vampire blood in her system was on Ric's desired agenda for the evening. Though at this point, I barely thought of him as a teacher. Not only was he tangled up in this world of supernatural conflict, but he also had significant ties to my birth mother.

"So," I finally broke the silence. "I guess you're kind of my biological step dad, huh."

He raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that's a massive oxymoron, right?"

"What are you an English teacher now too?" I rolled my eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, Isobel never told me she had a daughter, let alone two." He sighed. "But apparently she never told me a lot of things."

"Hey, not knowing about our existence does not excuse being an absent step father. Don't expect anything from me on Father's Day." I fully intended on sending him a Happy Father's Day balloon.

"Really? You're joking about this?" He tried to sound angry, but I could tell that he was fighting the urge to smile.

"Oh come on, you've got to admit it's kind of funny." I prodded. "Plus it's better than sitting around moping about how awful Isobel is."

"She left me to turn into a vampire. I'm allowed to mope." He defended.

"She threatened to kill me and turn me into one." I shot back.

"Ok, you win that one." He agreed. "Alright, we're here."

He pulled into the lot of a small apartment building, and stopped to get a duffel bag out of the backseat before heading inside. I followed him up to the second floor and into his apartment, number nine. The apartment itself was cozy, with an air of rustic charm to it. If it were in Brooklyn, the exposed brick and hardwood floor would have been intentional (and expensive) style choices. But I had a feeling that this was just the way the building was originally designed.

I plopped down on the couch and gave him a devilish grin. "So, _dad_. What do you wanna do?"

"Absolutely not." Ric gave me a stern glance. "I know you think this is funny, but you're not calling me dad."

"Ok, fine, _Richard._" I smirked.

He shook his head. "Alaric. Ric. Mr. Saltzman when we're in class. Pick one."

With an exasperated sigh, Ric tossed his bag on the couch next to me, where it landed with a _clank_, before heading towards the kitchen and pulling a bottle out of the cabinet. I had to smile at his drink of choice, bourbon. It further solidified my theory that he and Damon would become best of friends.

"Can I get you anything to drink? Water? Or . . ." He trailed off, eyeing the bottle in his hand. " . . . Water?"

I laughed at the implication that Ric only had water and whiskey in his apartment. "Water's fine, thanks."

He sauntered back over to hand me a glass of water, and opened the duffel bag on the couch. I had to stifle a gasp when I saw what was inside. The bag was full of weapons; weapons that I could only assume were made to be used against vampires. I recognized a crossbow, and a plethora of wooden stakes, but some of the things, like a glass jar full of clear liquid, I had never seen before in my life.

"Damn." I let out a low whistle. "I knew you could take a vampire, but you bring a whole new meaning to the phrase packing heat."

Ric grimaced. "Yeah well, when I get a call from Stefan saying there's trouble, I figure I'd better come prepared."

"Do you think you could . . ." I hesitated for a moment. "Do you think you could teach me how to use some of this stuff?"

He gave me an incredulous look. "Look . . . if you're looking for some sort of weird step dad bonding . . . I'm really not the guy for that. I'm sorry."

"No, no it's not that." I shook my head, fighting back a smirk at the awkwardness. "It's just . . . what happened today . . . I don't want it to happen again. Damon and Stefan can't always be around to protect me. More importantly, I don't _want_ to need to be protected."

He nodded slowly. "I am sorry about what Isobel did to you. But are you sure this is what you want? Killing a vampire . . . well, they're still a living dead thing. It sticks with you."

So Ric definitely has killed a vampire, or maybe even multiple vampires. The hollow look in his eyes was haunting, not that I could blame him. If it came down to it, I wasn't sure I would be able to kill Isobel, especially not after what I learned today. But that didn't mean I was okay with letting her kill me, either.

"Not kill. I mean, not unless I absolutely had to. I just want to be able to put up a fight." I reasoned.

He sighed in resignation. "I suppose that's fair. But it's been a long day, and you're safe for now. So let's save this for another time."

I smiled and nodded, knowing that I had gotten my way. I knew that Ric wasn't trying to put me off; he knew that I wouldn't forget his promise and would keep pushing until he kept it. He unlocked a closet door to reveal an even larger arsenal of weapons, and began to put away everything that was in the bag.

"Could you at least tell me what some of this stuff is?" I requested, as I watched with intense curiosity.

Ric hesitated for a moment, before holding up each item as he put it away. "Wooden stake . . . self explanatory. I have a few different things that can fire stakes as well. Vervain darts . . . really useful for slowing down a vampire. Vervain grenades . . . these will pretty much take out any vampire long enough for you to get away or stake them."

"Vervain _grenades_?" I stared at the little glass jars he was holding up. "Where did you get all of this stuff?"

"I made most of it." He replied. "Can't exactly walk into Wal-Mart and ask for weapons to kill a vampire."

"You made it? Damn Ric, you're kind of badass." I smiled.

"I did what I had to do." He shut and locked the closet door. "How are you feeling?"

I shrugged. "Worried, mostly."

"About Isobel coming back?" He asked, sitting down next to me on the couch.

"More about Elena seeing Isobel." I admitted.

"Elena will be fine. She has Stefan and Damon with her. Those boys are a force to be reckoned with." Ric assured me.

I nodded, knowing he was right. Still, I wished that time would pass just a little faster. I just wanted to know that Elena and Jeremy were safe, and be able to talk to Elena about everything that happened today. Sensing that I was still uneasy, Ric turned on the TV and handed me a throw blanket.

"Take it easy." He instructed. "They'll be here soon."

I curled up in the corner of the couch, and turned my attention to _The Office_. It wasn't my favorite show, but it was lighthearted and easy to watch, which is exactly what I needed. Despite everything weighing on my mind, I actually started to doze off at one point. The moment I heard a knock on the door, I snapped out of my slumber and jolted upright.

"Lucy! Wait! What if it's not them?" Ric tried to slow me as I ran to the door.

I ignored him, and flung the door open to see Elena, Stefan, and Damon standing there. I immediately attacked Elena with a hug that she returned with slightly less vigor. Looking over Elena's shoulder, I noticed that Stefan and Damon both looked rather uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" I asked, pulling back from Elena. "Is Jeremy okay?"

"Jeremy's home. He's safe." Elena quickly assuaged my fears. "Nothing's wrong. Isobel is just . . . unpleasant. Sorry, Ric."

I turned around to see that Ric had caught up with me. He gave a nod and a forced smile that looked more like a grimace to the boys. Damon stepped into the apartment, and I felt a little bit of warmth at the fact that Ric had previously invited him in.

"Thanks for keeping her alive, brother." Damon clapped Ric on the shoulder. "Great choice, letting her answer the door alone."

"I knew it was you guys." I tapped my forehead. "Twintuition."

Ric looked at me and shook his head. "You are something else, kid."

"We should really get going." Elena ignored my comment. "I have a lot of explaining to do to Jeremy when I get home."

"Right." I looked at Damon. "You coming?"

Damon's eyes scanned the room, landing on the bottle of bourbon that Ric left on the counter. "Pass. I think I'll have a drink or two with my buddy here."

"Did I invite you?" Ric raised an eyebrow.

Damon held his arms out. "Vampire invitations are non-rescindable. I can come over any time I please."

I rolled my eyes, knowing that Damon was likely avoiding a conversation with me about the bomb that he dropped earlier. It looked like it would just be Stefan, Elena, and me. That shouldn't be awkward at all.

"Right. Enjoy your boys night then." I gave them a little wave. "Thanks for your help, Ric. I'll see you at Founder's Day, I'm sure."

With one last pleading glance; Ric closed the door on us. I was glad that the two were hanging out, even if it was just an act of avoidance on Damon's end. They both needed friends; they just had to get over the whole "Damon turned Ric's wife into a vampire" thing.

I trailed behind Stefan and Elena as I followed them to the car. They were quiet, and it wasn't a comfortable silence. I climbed into the backseat of Elena's car, wondering what exactly had happened with Isobel. The second that we pulled up in front of Elena's house, she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door.

"I have to talk to Jeremy." She explained before darting into the house.

I sat in shock for a moment before getting out of the car and hoping into the front seat. Stefan's brow furrowed as he looked at me in confusion. Normally I would be running after Elena, avoiding any time alone with him.

"Time for a chat. Is everything okay with you guys?" I asked, knowing full well that something was up.

"Everything's fine. Why wouldn't it be?" Stefan countered.

"Come on Stefan. We were both there earlier. We both saw Elena . . ." I shifted uncomfortably, not really sure what exactly we saw. "We saw how weird it was when Elena was trying to get Damon to give her the device."

Stefan sighed, recalling the moment for a second before speaking. "Elena wanted the device for you and Jeremy's safety. She was willing to play up the fact that she looks like Katherine to get it."

"Yeah, but doesn't that worry you?" I questioned.

He shrugged. "It did for a moment. But not anymore."

"Why not?" I was puzzled at his nonchalance.

"Just something that Isobel said that made me reconsider things." He replied, as if I would leave it at that.

"What did she say?" I pried.

Stefan looked at the house as if he forgot that Elena was a human who couldn't hear our conversation. "You should really be having this conversation with Elena."

"Maybe I should be." I replied. "But I'm having it with you."

He pondered that for a moment, no doubt realizing how significant it was that I was sitting alone in a car talking with him after everything that had happened between us. I had the same realization. I wouldn't go so far as to say that no part of me was scared of him, but I fully trusted that he wasn't going to attack me while we sat outside of Elena's house.

"She said that Damon's in love with you." Stefan finally said.

"What? Damon's not in love with me." I immediately shut him down.

That just wasn't possible. I mean he cared about me, obviously. He had shown as much on multiple occasions, including today. He could be incessantly flirtatious, but he was like that with everyone. That was just part of his suave mannerisms. It was so obvious that he was still in love with Katherine. Even after a century and a half, his entire world still revolved around her.

"Think about it, Lucy." Stefan implored. "He doesn't even pick up the phone when I call, but when you need him he's there. He only handed the device over when _you_ were in danger."

"But when Elena-"

"When Elena asked him for the device he saw that she was willing to do anything to protect you and Jeremy, and he realized that he was willing to do the same for you." Stefan cut me off.

"He told you that?" I asked.

Stefan shook his head. "He didn't need to. I know my brother. I know it looked like . . . something else. But I could tell by his face when Isobel said it that it was true. It makes everything else make sense."

"So that's why he's avoiding us tonight." I deduced. "Because of what Isobel said."

He nodded. "I think he thought he was doing a better job at hiding it. He definitely didn't want any of us to know."

That much was obvious to me. I already knew that he didn't want any shred of his humanity to show to anyone. Everything else though . . . that was going to take a minute or two to process.

"Then why is Elena being so weird?" I left the _if she doesn't have feelings for Damon_ off of the question.

"It's been a long day for her." Stefan offered. "For you too. You've both had a lot thrown at you; I don't know how you're handling it so well."

"I wouldn't exactly call breaking down crying multiple times 'handling it well', Stefan." I joked.

"Ok, that's fair." He let out a small chuckle. "You should really get inside, though. You two have a lot to talk about."

"You're right." I agreed. "You're not so bad, Stefan. You know, when you're not being a bloodthirsty monster."

He grimaced at my attempt at a joke. "I'll be here if you need me."

I knew that the "here" was quite literal. He would definitely be keeping a watch over us all night, with everything that had happened today. For a brief moment, I worried about my parents being alone in a house that Isobel had been invited into, but I pushed those thoughts aside. Even if she somehow figured out the device didn't work tonight, I doubted they would be the first people she came after.

I walked into the house, making sure to lock the door behind me. No one was downstairs, which I was more than thankful for. I definitely wasn't ready to talk to John if he was still lurking around. I could tell from the hushed voices behind Jeremy's door that Elena was still in there talking to him, so I decided to get in the shower.

It felt so nice to finally wash the day off of me. Even though I washed all of the blood off of me much earlier, I still felt disgusting. Plus, I needed the alone time to think about what Stefan had told me.

Even if what Isobel said _was_ true, I didn't know what to do with this information. Damon was . . . well, Damon. He was the person I called when I needed someone today. I felt safe with him, always. And I could have fun with him, when the world wasn't falling apart around us. There was no denying the draw I felt towards him.

But even if it was true, if he _did_ love me, I wasn't sure if I could be with him. It would be so complicated. He was a vampire. I'm seventeen, and I fully intend to turn eighteen, nineteen, and twenty . . . eventually I would catch up with him. Life would catch up to me. I felt safe in his arms, but letting myself love him felt like it would be the most dangerous thing in the world.

None of that mattered for now. He hadn't said anything to me, and I was sure that Stefan wouldn't tell him about our conversation. So I could ignore it, and pretend that everything was normal. Well, as normal as friendship with a vampire could be.

When I got out of the shower I shrugged back into the shirt Damon had given me, and the sweatpants I had taken from Elena's dresser. She was sitting on her bed, still looking rather forlorn.

"Hey." I sat next to her. "How's Jeremy?"

"He's pretty mad at me. For a lot of things. But he's fine." She sighed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess." I shrugged. "I want to tell Jeremy. That we're twins. If he's my brother, I want him to know."

"You're right." She agreed, much to my surprise. "He deserves to know. But I want to talk to John first, make sure it's true. I don't want to confuse him."

"Do you think it's not true?" I asked.

"It's not that I don't think it's true. There's just been so many lies . . . I just want to hear the truth straight from John." She explained.

"If he even tells us the truth." I scoffed.

"Yeah. Our parents kind of suck." Elena laughed.

"Our parents." I echoed. "Kind of weird, huh."

"As weird as it is . . . it kind of makes sense." She reasoned. "I mean, we became friends so quickly. I've known Bonnie and Caroline for as long as I can remember, but the second you come into my life it felt like I've known you just as long."

"Yeah, that part does make sense." I smiled, glad that she felt the same bond that I felt towards her.

"But?" She pried.

"I just can't believe I have a _twin_ that I was adopted without." I said. "Like, I refuse to believe that my parents knew about you and didn't adopt you. But how could they have not known?"

"I feel the same way. Are you going to talk to them about it?" She asked, and I was hit with the realization that she would never get to talk to her parents about her adoption.

"Maybe." I shrugged. "I don't know. If they really didn't know about you, they're going to be absolutely furious. I don't want to bring that upon _anyone_, even John."

"We'll get answers. I promise." She assured me. "But we should go to bed. Today's been way too much, and tomorrow's not going to be much easier."

"What, not excited for Founder's Day?" I teased as I pulled the covers over myself.

She groaned. "Caroline has me wearing this costume that I can't even breathe in for the float. I love her, but we have very different taste."

"Please, no Caroline talk before bed. I don't want any nightmares." I barely knew the steps for the cheer routine that I was supposed to be leading tomorrow.

Elena laughed. "Maybe we'll have fun. Goodnight, Lucy."

"Goodnight, mirror-me." I replied.

She laughed again. "You're ridiculous."

* * *

_I was only trying to bury the pain_

_But I made you cry and_

_I can't stop the crying_

_Was only trying to save me but I lost you again_

_Now there's only lying_

_Wish I could say it's only me_

_Too long we've been denying_

_Now we're both tired of trying_

_We hit a wall and we can't get over it_

_Nothing to relive, it's_

_Water under the bridge_

_You said it, I get it, I guess it is what it is_


	21. Chapter 21 - Bloodstream

**Hey guys! This chapter wraps up Season 1, so I hope you enjoy it. I'm super excited for Season 2, I have a lot of things planned for it. I'd love to hear your hopes and predictions for what happens when The Originals arrive. This chapter also officially marks 100,000 words and I can't believe I've written that much. Thanks so much for all your support on this story, if you have time for a review I really do appreciate it. Thank you again to KimmyWSmith for proofreading. Enjoy! Xo, Eden.**

**P.S. I've tried watching the episodes and reading up on fandom to get an idea for the timeline in the series and there aren't many markers of time in the show. I'm basically making my own timeline that falls in line with the events that ARE marked in the show (Elena's birthday, start of senior year, etc.) so sorry if I get it wrong! **

* * *

_Song: Bloodstream_

_Artist: Stateless_

_Wake up look me in the eyes again _  
_I need to feel your hand upon my face _  
_Words can be like knives _  
_They c__unts you_

_I think I might've inhaled you _  
_I could feel you behind my eyes _

_You gotten into my bloodstream __an cut you open _  
_And the silence surrounds you _  
_And hunts you_

_I could feel you floating in me _

* * *

I smoothed a hand over my ponytail to make sure that every stray hair was in place as I observed myself in the mirror. Despite the winter chill, Caroline was insistent that we wear our regular cheer uniform with no thermal layer for the parade, something about displaying "true spirit". Whatever, I couldn't wait for the parade to end so I could put on a sweatshirt and actually enjoy Founder's Day.

I really had no room to complain about my required parade attire, however. As part of the Founder's Court, Elena had to participate in Caroline's whole "Gone With the Wind" fantasy that she brought to life for the float. Jenna helped her start preparations bright and early this morning, cueing that it was my time to go home. I did not want to be around if there was a mishap with the curling iron.

Grabbing my bag that was stuffed with a change of clothes and any ponytail making essentials that the cheer squad might have forgotten, I headed downstairs. I threw my arms around my mom when I saw her, equal parts happy that she was left unharmed by Isobel and guilty that I had been spending so little time at home.

"Where's dad?" I asked.

"He left early, Mayor Lockwood invited him to observe preparations with the council." She replied. "You look cute, are you excited for the parade?"

Though my family wasn't a Founding Family, Mayor Lockwood still put a substantial effort into building a relationship with my father. I had a strong suspicion that it had something to do with wanting to butter him up for whenever the town needed donations for something, but I knew that my dad was enjoying being a part of the boy's club type environment.

"I'm looking forward to the parade being over." I clarified. "So I can actually enjoy the rest of the celebration."

She laughed at my lack of enthusiasm. "Will you be meeting up with your friends later?"

"Probably." I shrugged. "But I won't spend the night at Elena's, don't worry."

"I wasn't worried," She smiled. "Your friendship with her is really good for you. You seem really happy lately, it's nice how much you joke around again."

"Yeah, I really enjoy hanging out with Elena." I eyed her for a moment; I had already decided not to bring up the adoption yet, but that didn't mean I couldn't test her reaction a bit. "It's kind of weird, honestly. We both agreed that when we met, it felt like we had known each other our whole life."

"I don't know if it's that weird." She pondered the statement. "You are cousins."

"Yeah but we were both adopted. So it's not like we have the same blood." I countered with a statement that I pretty much knew to be false.

"Maybe you're just meant to be best friends." She suggested.

I laughed a bit; she made it sound like Elena was my soul mate in best friend form. "Yeah, maybe. I should really get going; I don't want Caroline or Mrs. Lockwood to chew my head off for being late. I'll see you later?"

"We'll be there." Mom gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Have fun, sweetheart."

"Will do!" I gave her a little wave as I walked out the door.

Unlike my parents reaction when I brought up John, my mom seemed quite unfazed when I brought up my connection to Elena. It truly didn't seem like she was hiding anything, and I didn't quite know how that made me feel. On the one hand, it would be so nice to know that my parents really didn't know about Elena's existence when adopting me. On the other hand, they would truly be furious if they found out she was my twin and John had hidden it from them. From all of us.

If that was true, I really wanted nothing to do with John. It was bad enough that he thought it was okay to hide our relationship from us, hiding it from our parents would be unforgivable. Man, a murderous no-humanity vampire, and a dishonest anti-vampire vigilante, our birth parents really were quite the pair.

I had to push all of that to the back of my mind, as I currently had bigger things to worry about. Since Caroline and Elena were on the Founder's Court Float, and Bonnie had missed too many practices, Caroline had somehow deduced that I was the best option to lead the cheer squad in the parade. It seemed like some form of nepotism to me; I really wished she had held some sort of tryouts for interim captain. With everything that had happened this week, cheerleading really wasn't my priority, and I was more than thankful that this was our last event of the year.

The school was bustling with everyone preparing for the parade. It seemed like the entire town was here, I wondered how there would even be anyone left to watch the parade. I didn't spy Caroline anywhere, and it looked like the rest of the cheer squad had already assembled and was stretching on their own, so I scanned the crowd to look for any familiar faces to hang out with. I spotted Damon and Stefan, who looked to be having one of their usual spats, and decided to go break it up.

"Hey dickhead." I leaned up to casually prop my arm on Damon's shoulder. "Nice outfit, Stefan."

As Elena's intended escort for the pageant, Stefan had the lovely duty of standing on the float with her. He had on a ridiculous purple tie and a suit and coat combination that made him look like he was still stuck in the 1800's. Really, it was rather amusing.

Stefan forced a smile. "I must admit, of all the eras I've lived through, this is not one with fashion that I would like to bring back."

"Hey, if you hate it, I'll gladly take that wool coat." I offered.

Damon shrugged my arm off and turned to look at me. "What's wrong with the cheerleader outfit? I'm into it."

"I'm _cold_." I whined. "Some of us have human bodies that _feel things_."

"You look pretty hot to me." Damon winked.

I elbowed him. "Don't be like that. I'm mad at you."

"Oh, you're mad at me, are you?" Damon raised an eyebrow in amusement. "And why is that?"

"You were a dick yesterday." I crossed my arms.

"When was I a dick yesterday? Was it when I came at the drop of a hat to come take care of you? Or was it when I gave Elena the device that could kill me to save your life. Do enlighten me." His eyes narrowed, but a smirk tinged on his lips.

"How about when you decided to drop the fact that Elena and I are twins on everyone for literally no reason?" I countered.

Stefan cleared his throat. "Yeah, that was um . . ."

"Oh come on," Damon cut him off and slid an arm around my shoulder, squeezing me close to him. "Aren't you _so_ happy to know that you have a sister? Now you two get to braid each other's hair . . . paint each other's nails . . . talk about boys . . ."

I rolled my eyes, but leaned into his one-armed hug. "I'm just saying, you could have been a little more tactful about it."

"Well in that case, I am so terribly sorry for my lack of tact, and I will make sure to be much more sensitive when alerting you of any other secret sibling in the future." Damon mocked me.

I caught Stefan's eye and shared a quick smile with him. Whatever he and Damon were arguing about before I approached them, they were clearly already over. Last night I had been so worried about how I would act around Damon after what Stefan told me, but today everything just felt normal. Well, as normal as it could be for hanging around with two vampires.

Damon's arm dropped from my shoulders, and I looked up to see that he was staring off, looking absolutely shell-shocked. I followed his gaze, and admittedly had to stifle a gasp as well. Katherine was walking up to us. Well, Elena. But she looked just like Katherine. Like, not just in her face, her curled hair and he corseted dress made her look exactly like Katherine had in the visions Damon had shown me.

Stefan had also turned and was fixated on Elena. No doubt, the same thing was running through his mind. Elena caught his eye, and curtsied playfully. I reached out for Damon's hand and squeezed it, hoping to bring him back to reality. He blinked a few times, and then looked at me, squeezing my hand in return. He understood that I understood how much her appearance was messing with his head.

"Hi guys." Elena noted our confounded expressions. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine." Stefan quickly answered. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." Elena smiled, and turned to me. "How are you feeling about being here?"

There had been a bit of a debate as to if it was actually safe for me to be here. Vampire blood wasn't exactly a science, and there wasn't a way to be sure if it was actually out of my system. But as far as we knew, the threat to me had been eliminated, and I was determined not to let evil vampires control me.

"Thrilled." I deadpanned. "Let's be real, Caroline's reaction if I didn't show up today would be infinitely scarier than anything Isobel could do to me."

Stefan's forehead wrinkled; he was still adjusting to my sense of humor. "You know Damon and I will be nearby if you need anything."

"I know. Thanks." I gave him a genuine smile in return. Having Stefan and Damon around was kind of like having my own personal bodyguards.

"When did you two become friends?" Damon questioned the friendly banter between Stefan and I today.

"Last night when you _ditched us_." I teased, leaving out the subject matter that Stefan and I had actually managed to bond over.

"It's nice." Elena hugged Stefan's arm, and glared at Damon. "Just embrace it."

Damon returned her glare. "If only everyone could be so forgiving."

I just shook my head at his jab at her. At this point, I knew it was in good fun, at least partially. Stefan looked thoroughly uncomfortable at the entire conversation. From how Elena talked, I was sure that in his mind he didn't deserve any redemption. While I couldn't say that I had fully forgiven him, we were at least getting there.

"We should go take our places." Elena suggested to Stefan.

"Yeah, I should too." I nodded. "I'll see you guys after the parade?"

"I'm counting on it." Damon replied.

"We'll catch up with you at the end." Elena offered.

"Alright, bye guys!" I gave them one last smile before darting over to take my place with the rest of the cheer squad.

Despite my fears, the parade actually went quite well. My prediction that no one would be watching as the whole town was seemingly in the parade could not have been more false; the turnout was fantastic. In between the noise from the marching band and the applause from onlookers, I could barely even hear Carol Lockwood announcing everybody as they passed. I could, however, hear my mom loudly calling out my name so that I could flash her a smile for the camera she had toted along. Her enthusiasm for my participation in these sorts of things was always unparalleled.

The cheer squad was sandwiched in between the Founder's Court float and the football team, so I saw that Elena was beaming the entire time. I guess the whole Stefan thing had clouded her pageant experience, so this was her chance to enjoy being a member of the court. Somehow, I managed to pick Damon out of the crowd, and he winked when we locked eyes. I blew him a kiss in return, my face just a little flushed at the sight of him.

Once we stopped a little bit beyond Town Square, I went over to Elena's float. Stefan held out a hand to help her step down, and they looked so elegant together in that moment. They really did make an excellent couple. Before I could say anything to Elena, Caroline attacked me with a hug.

"That was awesome!" She squealed into my ear. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

I laughed at her enthusiasm. "You couldn't even see me!"

"Oh trust me, I was watching." She replied. "Ok, I'm gonna go find my mom. Have fun!"

Elena smiled at Caroline bouncing away. "All went well?"

"All went well." I replied.

"Good. Come one, let's go get changed." She offered.

The football team was nice enough to let us keep our bags in the truck that pulled them in the parade so we didn't have to go all the way back to the school. We grabbed them and walked together to the Mystic Grill, where we shut ourselves in the bathroom to change. I was so happy to get out of the tight cheerleading tank and pull on my cozy Timberwolves sweatshirt.

"Are you sure you want to put those on?" Elena eyed the jeans I pulled out of my bag. "I think Damon really likes that skirt."

My jaw practically fell open in shock. "What?"

"Oh come on, Stefan told me about your conversation with him last night." She informed me. "Untie me?"

"Yeah I figured he would but . . . I mean, you're okay with it?" I asked, helping her undo the corset on her dress.

She shrugged. "I mean, I wouldn't say I'm _okay_ with it. But who would I be to push back against the obvious bond you guys have? Plus, I can't deny that he's been different since he met you."

I just stared blankly at her as she put on a dark blue shirt and began to brush some of the curl out of her hair. I couldn't believe that she was here encouraging me to wear a short skirt just to flirt with him. The difference in her attitude toward Damon and I now versus when I had first met her was like night and day.

"What?" She met my eye in the mirror. "Are _you_ not okay with it?"

"I just have . . . apprehensions." I admitted. "Like, he tried to kill Bonnie?"

Elena sighed and nodded. "He did. Back before the tomb was open. Emily Bennett, one of Bonnie's ancestors who knew Damon, possessed Bonnie to try and stop Damon from opening the tomb."

I leaned against the wall and let out a long exhale. "Wow."

Elena pulled on her jeans and looked at me. The expression on her face made me think that perhaps she regretted telling me what she had just told me. It was a lot to take in. I knew Damon had a dark past, but I wondered if I would ever stop learning about the terrible things he had done.

"Listen," She hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. "It's your decision. But I see how happy you are when you're with him, even when he's being annoying as hell. It's okay to let yourself have that happiness."

I pondered over her words as I took in my reflection in the mirror. "Thank you, Elena."

"Of course." She smiled, and reached over to pull off my hair tie and put it on my wrist, then ruffled my hair a bit. "Come on, we're teenagers. Let's go have _fun._"

I followed her back into the dining area of the grill, which was just starting to fill up. Damon was walking in just at the same time we were, and he almost immediately caught my eye and walked over to us.

"Hello ladies," He smiled and slid an arm around my shoulder. "Elena, I like you better like this. The period look . . . it didn't suit you."

Elena crossed her arms. "Is that an insult?"

"Actually Elena, it is a compliment of the highest order." Damon countered.

I smirked as Elena rolled her eyes, knowing the real reason behind Damon's teasing. Her resemblance to Katherine in her period look had been a bit too uncanny, and I knew that if it made me uncomfortable, Stefan and Damon must truly have been stirring at the sight of her.

"Don't make me regret being your friend." She warned him. "Okay?"

Without saying anything else, she walked away from us. I almost followed her, until I saw that she had gone over to Jeremy. I hadn't even seen him there, but I knew that he was mad at her and figured it better not to interrupt. There would be plenty of time for me to harass Jeremy after we told him that I was also his sister.

"When did you two become friends?" I teased Damon, throwing his earlier words back at him. "Come on, we should give them some space. Let's get out of here."

Damon nodded, and keeping his arm around me guided me outside into the square. There was a local band playing some 80's rock covers, and a few booths selling food, but most of the activities looked to be geared towards kids. Still, with the setting sun putting a gold cast over everything, the fall air was quite nice, and I knew there would be fireworks later, so it was worth sticking around.

"God if I never saw Elena in that getup again it would be too soon." Damon exhaled a sigh of relief.

I shot him a sympathetic look. "I know. That was . . . weird."

"Sometimes the resemblance is so powerful I have to remind myself that Elena isn't just Katherine pretending to be a normal seventeen year old girl." He admitted.

"She isn't." I shuddered at the thought, and quickly stumbled for a subject change. "So, a hundred and fifty years of Mystic Falls. Let me guess . . . you were here for the original Founder's day, and have been here for every one since."

Damon shot me an incredulous look. "You know I've lived places other than Mystic Falls, right? People would start to get suspicious after about a decade of no aging."

I laughed. "I know. No one in their right mind would stay here for that long. Where else have you lived?

"Hmm, let's see . . . Atlanta, San Francisco, did a stint in New York in the seventies, that was . . . whew." He smiled at the memory. "Admittedly I haven't spent as much time abroad as I would like, but there's no real sense of urgency when you have eternity."

"What was your favorite?" I asked. "Other than here, of course."

He thought about it for a moment. "New York. It's just so vibrant, and gritty, and alive. You're never bored there."

I nodded. "I've only been there once, a few years ago, but all we did was Times Square and the other stupid touristy stuff."

"We'll have to go when you're old enough to actually enjoy the nightlife." He winked.

"Can't you just compel any bartender that you want?" I asked, smiling at how natural the assumption that we would know each other in three and a half years was.

"I could. But that would be highly immoral." He grinned back.

"Oh yes, you're just the king of good morals." I burst into a fit of giggles.

Damon nudged me, and I looked up to see my parents walking towards us. They looked like night and day, my mom wearing the same Timberwolves sweatshirt I had on and a pair of jeans, and my dad wearing a suit. I gave both of them a hug, and it took every ounce of self-control in my body not to laugh when my mom greeted Damon with a hug as well.

"I figured I might find you somewhere around here." Mom greeted me. "It's good to see you Damon. Peter, you remember Damon, don't you?"

"Sure. Peter Adams." Dad stuck his hand out. "You're a member of the Founder's Council, correct?"

"I sure am." Damon shook his hand.

"Huh." Dad replied, eyeing Damon.

"So, are you two enjoying the celebration?" I filled the awkward silence.

"Oh of course we are!" Mom chimed in enthusiastically. "That parade was so lovely. Is Elena around?"

"She's at the grill, with her brother." _Our_ brother. "We'll catch up with her and Stefan later. How late are you guys sticking around?"

"Oh not too late, we just want to see the fireworks and then we'll head out. We won't bother you though; we were just on our way to get some dinner. Let me get a picture of you two first though!" Mom held up her camera.

I rolled my eyes, but obliged with her request. Damon pulled me closer to him, and I smiled as she took a few pictures.

"Okay, no more." I held up my hand. "I'm gonna go blind from the flash."

"Okay, fine. I'm sure those were cute." Mom smiled. "Alright, we'll see you at home if not before then. Want me to take your bag for you? I can put it in the car."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks mom." I grabbed my phone and car keys, and handed my bag to her. "See you guys later."

"Be safe tonight." Dad cautioned.

"Always am. Love you guys!" I waved to them.

"They seem nice. Energetic." Damon commented, as we meandered through the square, and I froze in my tracks. "What is it? Did you forget something?"

"Will you show up in the pictures?" I asked him.

He stared blankly at me. "Assuming they turn out, yes. Why wouldn't I?"

"You know," I looked around. "_Vampire._"

He laughed at me. "You're an idiot. That stuff isn't real."

"Don't laugh at me. _You're_ not supposed to be real." I crossed my arms. "How am I supposed to know what's real and what isn't?"

"Hm, okay. I'll give you that." Damon admitted. "We show up in mirrors, crosses don't burn us, and we aren't repelled by garlic. Though we are repelled by vervain and _do_ need to be invited in, as you already know, and a wooden stake to the heart will kill us, as well as fire."

"That much I know. You'd better be nice to me. Ric's going to teach me how to use a stake." I warned him.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is he now? And why would he do that?"

"So I can fight a vampire." I replied.

"Why would you need to fight a vampire?" He asked.

I shrugged. "You and Stefan aren't always around. I figured I should be able to take care of myself.

"Ha. I'd like to see you try." Damon challenged.

"Hey. I bet a few lessons and I can take you." I countered.

With that, I felt him leave my side, and when I turned to see where he went, he was nowhere to be seen. An arm slid around me, and I tensed for a moment until I realized it was Damon, pulling me towards him. His arm was flush across my collarbone, and while his grip on my shoulder was gentle, the message was more than clear.

"Boo." He whispered.

"Damon. I said a few lessons." I laughed. "What are you doing flashing around like that? Someone could see you."

"Oh relax. No one's paying attention to us. Except maybe witchy over there." He informed me.

"What?" I whipped my head around, and sure enough Bonnie was a few yards away. "I actually need to go talk to her."

"You're on your own with that one. I know when my presence isn't wanted." He gestured towards her.

"I'll be right back." I promised him.

A flicker of displeasure showed on Bonnie's face when she realized I was walking up to her, but she quickly replaced it with a forced smile. Despite her apparent discomfort, I knew I needed to thank her for what she had done. Part of me hoped that I could eventually befriend her, but for now we just needed to get past the awkwardness that existed between us.

"Hi," I greeted her. "You enjoying the celebration?"

"I guess." She shrugged. "Is there something you need?"

"I just wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday," I began.

"You already did thank me." She cut me off.

"No, I mean properly thank you." I insisted. "This is the second time you've saved my life with your magic, and I barely even know you. I hope that can change, but I just want you to know how much I appreciate it."

"Why is everyone thanking me? First Damon, now you . . . what else did you expect me to do?" She questioned me.

What? Damon had thanked her too? He hadn't told me that. I looked back, sure that he was listening to the conversation, but he wasn't there anymore. Huh. I guess he was just giving us space to talk.

"We're thanking you because you saved us. That means something." I stated.

"I did what I had to do. Look, I have to go." She mumbled.

"Bonnie wait!" I pleaded, trying to get her to stay, but she ignored me.

Well, that was wildly unsuccessful. As much as I wanted to befriend Bonnie, it didn't seem that she returned that sentiment. I couldn't exactly blame her for that; I associated with vampires, and she hated them. She seemed to get over it with Elena, but Elena was her lifelong friend. I was just some random girl who showed up and instantly befriended her enemy.

At least I could say that I tried. The way she left yesterday hadn't sat right with me. Now I just needed to find Damon so we could continue our evening. He was nowhere in sight, and I found it a bit odd that he would leave like that. I wandered around for a bit, knowing I would find him eventually. It wasn't like the Town Square was the size of Manhattan. I spotted Stefan and Elena holding hands, and trotted over to them.

"Hey guys, have you seen Damon?" I asked, falling in step next to Elena.

"No, we thought he was with you." Stefan replied.

"He was. We got separated. Whatever, I'm sure he'll turn up." I shrugged, and looked to Elena. "How's Jeremy?"

"He's still refusing to speak to me." Elena sighed. "But it'll be okay. Let's not talk about that. What did you and Damon get up to?"

I couldn't hold back a laugh as Elena wiggled her eyebrows at me. "Not much, we were just walking around. We ran into my parents, that was amusing."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

"Something about Damon interacting with my stereotypically suburban parents is just wildly entertaining to me." I admitted. "My mom insisted on taking a picture of us and I had a mild freak out later because I was worried he wouldn't show up in the photo."

"Oh my god," Elena looked at Stefan. "I remember having questions about mirrors and pictures when I first found out."

Stefan smiled. "Yes, you did."

"I have no idea how I would have explained that one. 'I don't know mom, maybe your camera sensor had a Damon shaped speck of dust on it'" I joked.

Elena laughed. "Can you imagine?"

I just looked at the two of them and smiled. Two weeks ago, there would have been no way I would be comfortable just standing here joking with both of them. Now, it felt natural. For that, I was more than thankful.

A hand slipped into mine, and tore me from my thoughts. I looked up to see that Damon had come out of nowhere and slid in between Elena and I. His other hand was holding Elena's free one, and both Stefan and Elena were glaring at him for the gesture.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Elena questioned him.

"Saving your life. Fifteen words or less, tomb vamps are here. Founding families are the target. Get them out of here. Now." Damon instructed Stefan.

"Wait, wait. Wait, where are you going?" Stefan called after Damon as he tore his hands from us and went to walk away.

"That's more than fifteen words, Stefan." Damon yelled over his shoulder.

"Wait, I'm coming with you!" I tried to follow him, but Stefan grabbed my arm to stop me.

"You're a Gilbert by blood, you're not safe here either. Don't draw attention to yourself, we need to leave. All of us." Stefan's voice was firm.

"But-" I looked towards the crowd that Damon had disappeared into.

"Damon will be fine." He tried to persuade me. "Let's go."

"Wait. Jeremy's out here somewhere." Elena realized.

Stefan nodded. "Let's go find him. Come on."

Not letting go of my arm, Stefan grabbed hold of Elena's hand and pulled both of us into the crowd. I could tell he didn't trust me not to run after Damon, and he was probably right in that judgment. If there were malicious vampires lurking around, I didn't want Damon to try and take care of the issue on his own. Those odds made me uneasy. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket, and pulled it out.

"Stop. STOP." I yelled at Stefan. "My dad's calling. Hello?"

"Lucy, where are you?" My dad's voice sounded a bit on edge.

"In the square with Stefan and Elena, we were just about to leave. Why?" I asked.

"We're at the Grill. Mayor Lockwood was insistent that his son and his friends leave. I asked him what was going on and he said he caught wind of some teenagers planning a dangerous prank during the fireworks show." He explained. "Listen, sweetie. I need you to get home. If the Mayor thinks it's not safe, you shouldn't be here."

"Yeah. Yeah I will." I assured him. "Hey, have you guys seen Jeremy there? We just need to find him and then we can go."

"I think he was here a few minutes ago. He may have just left. If I see him, I'll tell him to call you girls." My dad replied. "We'll see you at home."

"Thanks dad. See you soon, love you." I hung up the phone, and looked at Elena's worried face. "My dad said Jeremy was just at the Grill."

Stefan nodded. "Great, let's go that way."

Just as Stefan began to guide us towards the Grill, the fireworks began. I glanced at them for a moment, thinking about how earlier I was so sure I was going to be watching them with Damon. Now, here we were less than half an hour later, tangled up in vampire danger again.

Stefan let out a shout, and fell to the ground, nearly taking Elena and I with him. He was completely keeled over, pressing his hands to his forehead and leaning into the sidewalk. Instantly, Elena was at his side, rubbing her hands along his back.

"Stefan? What's going on? What's happening?" Elena's voice only became more frantic as Stefan only managed a disgruntled yell in response.

"My head." Stefan finally managed to grunt out.

"What?" Elena asked.

"My _head_." Stefan yelled.

"Stefan what happened?" Elena pried.

Stefan just rocked back and forth, panting at the pain. Digging my nails into the palms of my skin, I looked around trying to figure out what could possibly be causing his distress. I didn't know much, but I was fairly certain that vampires didn't get headaches. Especially not debilitating ones. I exhaled a sigh of relief when I saw a familiar figure running towards us.

"Ric!" I called out.

"Get up." He grabbed Stefan's arm and dragged him into a standing position, leaning on Ric and Elena for support.

"I don't know what happened. He just dropped." Elena explained.

"Yeah, he's not the only one." Ric groaned under Stefan's weight as he guided us towards a stairwell. "Cops are grabbing everyone who's gone down. Injecting them with vervain."

"What?" Elena gasped. "They're rounding up the vampires."

They helped Stefan sit down, now safely out of sight of any police officers. He just remained curled up, clutching his head. Elena and I sat next to him, my heart beginning to race at Elena's realization. If they were rounding up the vampires, where was Damon? Had he made it out okay?

"Oh my god." Stefan breathed out. "It finally stopped."

"What stopped?" Elena asked. "Are you okay?"

"The noise. It was like needles were piercing my skull and then it just stopped." Stefan explained.

"I saw at least five vampires go down. They were taking them to your family's old building." Ric told Elena.

"It's the Gilbert device. It has to be." Stefan deduced.

"But how did he get it to work?" Elena shook her head. "Bonnie unspelled it."

"Maybe she didn't." Ric countered.

"She did. We saw it." Elena was firm.

"No, no, no. He's right. I mean think about it, we asked Bonnie to deactivate a device that could protect people against vampires." Stefan reasoned.

Elena squeezed his shoulder. "So we could protect you."

"And Damon. Vampires." Stefan reiterated. "Where is Damon?"

Ric furrowed his brow. "I don't know. I haven't seen him since this started."

"What if he's in there?" I jumped up. "We have to go help him."

"Can you get my brother? Take him home?" Elena asked Ric.

Ric nodded. "Of course."

"Let's go." Elena helped Stefan up.

I was a few yards ahead of them, already at the top of the stairwell. I was a bit dizzy at the revelation that Bonnie might not have unspelled the Gilbert device. If it was true, that would explain why she was so insistent on not accepting my gratitude. Even worse, if it was true, Damon was definitely in danger right now.

"Lucy, slow down." Stefan called after me. "You have no idea what you're running into. You have to be careful."

"Stefan. It's Damon." I sputtered. "What if he's hurt? We can't let anything happen to him."

"Lucy. I know. He's my brother. We'll help him." Stefan assured me. "But you can't get yourself hurt in the process."

"Come on, it's this way." Elena motioned towards the building Ric had referenced.

"Wait, wait, wait. I can hear them." Stefan's eyes widened. "The building's on fire."

"What?" Elena asked.

"The building's on fire." Stefan repeated.

Abandoning his previous words of caution, Stefan tore off in a run, Elena and I trailing behind him. I knew from Stefan's reaction that whatever he heard was bad. Fire was one of the only things that could kill a vampire . . . if they had been injected with vervain . . . we had to get over there.

We reached Elena's family's building, only to find John facing it as if he was admiring what he had just done. I could smell a hint of smoke in the air, and that's when I truly started to panic. My vision was blurred with tears. We had to save Damon. There was no other option. I couldn't lose him.

"Where is Damon?" Elena demanded.

John turned around, a twinge of a smirk on his face. "With the rest of them. Where he should be. It's over for Damon."

"_NO!_" I cried out. Stefan reached for my shoulder; squeezing it so tightly I was almost sure he would dislocate it.

"You're crazy." Elena shook her head.

"Why? Because I'm doing what should have been done a hundred and forty five years ago? This is the right thing, Elena." John glared at Stefan, nodding towards the building. "Go ahead. You won't make it out. It'll save you the trouble of killing you myself."

"You know the building well, is there another entrance in?" Stefan asked Elena.

"Utility door. There's one around the side." Elena pointed.

Stefan took off in the direction Elena pointed out. She and I went to follow him, but John reached out to stop us both. I stared at him, blinking back tears and unable to fathom how this horrible human was the man who brought me into this world.

"Take one more step and I'll alert those deputies that they missed a vampire." John warned.

"I'm asking you not to." Elena replied, her eyes searching John for some shred of empathy.

"That doesn't mean anything to me." John growled in reply.

"As my father, it should." Elena spat out.

John released his grip, shocked at her statement. "You girls know."

"We weren't sure. But now we are." Elena's voice shook in response to John's confirmation of our suspicions.

John's eyes flickered between Elena and I. Despite her wavering voice, she kept her steely gaze firm. My watery eyes probably looked way less menacing. Elena grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the direction Stefan had run off in. This time, John didn't protest.

When we reached the side entrance in the alleyway, Bonnie was standing there. Stefan was nowhere in sight; presumably he had already run inside. Elena and I tried to run into the building, only for Bonnie to stop us.

"You can't go in there." Bonnie protested.

"Bonnie, what are you doing?" Elena snapped.

"I'm sorry I lied to you." Bonnie held on to both of our wrists and began to chant.

"Bonnie, we've got to get in there." Elena and I both tugged against her, but our strength was no match for hers; her grasp almost felt inhuman.

Bonnie continued to chant in a language I couldn't identify. I could only assume it was her witch language. The wind picked up, blowing her wavy hair around her face. I could hear crashes from inside the building, and I clenched my eyes shut and prayed that whatever Bonnie was saying was helping and not hindering Stefan and Damon. She ceased her chanting, and let go of both of our arms.

"Bonnie. Bonnie what is it? Are they gonna be okay?" Elena asked.

"Bonnie what did you do?" I pleaded with her.

She didn't answer, maintaining a vacant stare towards the entrance of the building. When I heard another crash, I snapped my head towards the door and let out the breath I had been holding when I saw Stefan emerge, Damon's arm draped over his shoulder. Both of them were coughing from the smoke, but they were both conscious.

"Damon!" I called out.

"Oh my god." Elena whispered.

Elena and I ran to their side. Damon looked back at the smoky building they had just emerged from with a dazed expression, continuing to cough. He unwound his arm from Stefan's shoulder, and I instantly jumped to throw my arms around his neck. He collapsed from the force, bringing us both to the ground. I knew how weak he must be to collapse under my weight when normally he could carry me like it was nothing. I let go of the tears I had been holding back when I realized how much danger he had really been in.

I just stayed in his lap where we had fallen, legs on either side of his and arms holding him as tightly as my little human arms could. I tangled my fingers into his hair, crying into his neck. With each sharp breath, I inhaled the smell of smoke that clung to him. He wrapped his arms around me in return; gentler than he had ever done so before. His hands trembled as they ran up and down my back, and his body lurched with each cough.

"You're okay. You're alive." I murmured, unsure of which of the two of us I was trying to reassure with that statement.

I looked up at Stefan standing behind us. He and Elena had each other in an embrace as well, and I knew Elena understood the relief I felt in that moment. I mouthed '_thank you'_ to Stefan, and he nodded in return. It was stupid, me thanking him for saving his own brother, but I was absolutely falling apart at the thought of losing Damon, and Stefan risked his own life to save Damon's.

Damon had never seemed more human to me than in this moment. Not in the emotional sense, but in the literal, physical sense. Feeling him shake in my arms terrified me, as I realized how fleeting even the promise of immortality could be. I just wanted him to be whole, and strong, so that I could push the fears of him dying out of my mind. He was a vampire; he was supposed to be healing. Why wasn't he? I remembered Elena telling me about Stefan being hurt, that day that I found Vicki, and I knew what Damon needed.

"You're coughing so bad. Your lungs . . . you need blood. Drink." I pulled away from him just enough that I could hold my arm out to him.

"I don't need blood." Damon shook his head, and wrapped his hand around my wrist. "I need you."

He pushed my arm down, and putting a hand on my neck he crashed his lips against mine. The urgency behind the kiss was such a stark contrast to how gently he had been caressing me just moments prior. I froze for a moment, needing to process that this was real and his lips were really against mine before I could allow myself to return the kiss.

So many times I had admired his wicked smirk, so many times I had forgotten to breathe because of his proximity to me, but never had I truly allowed myself to believe that this moment would happen. That Damon would kiss me, and that I could absorb every bit of him as I returned that kiss. I could taste the salt from my tears that had travelled all over my face. His lips were as firm and commanding as the rest of him, and I sunk into his arms letting him guide me with his own intensity.

My heart was racing again, this time not at the fear of losing Damon but at the exhilaration of having him. I let my hands wander over him, running from his chest up his body and finally resting wrapped in his hair. He pulled me closer with the arm around my waist, only to tear his lips away from mine moments later. Resting his forehead on mine, he let our noses touch ever so slightly, and my eyelids fluttered, dazed with the emotion of what had just happened.

"I need you." He repeated, still breathless, though I wasn't sure if it was still from the smoke. "In there . . . watching the flames . . . all I could think was that I've been alive for almost a hundred and fifty years, and it still wasn't enough because I never got to tell you how I feel. I need you, Lucy."

"I'm right here." I whispered in response, running a hand over his cheek.

I felt my face flush as I was hit with the realization that we weren't alone. I immediately sat up and looked around, only to discover that we actually were. Elena, Stefan, and Bonnie had left. Thank god.

"They're gone." Damon smirked. "Don't worry, I'm sure Elena will give you a thorough talking to later."

"She won't." I shook my head. "She's . . . she's okay with it. More than okay with it. She kind of encouraged it, actually."

"Oh?" He tilted his head. "You two talked about me?"

I rolled my eyes at his teasing. "Only to establish that she wouldn't hate me if we . . . yeah."

He ran a hand over my hair, smoothing a strand behind my ear. "Well, if we have Queen Elena's approval . . ."

He pulled me back so I was closer to him; letting his lips find mine again. The kiss was softer this time. Now that we had established that we could kiss one another, the sense of urgency was gone, there was no scrambling to absorb each other's taste in case it was the last chance of doing so.

With that gentle kiss, I let go of any reservations I had previously held about Damon. That he could shift from so assertive to so sweet, and that I felt so comfortable with both versions of him, let me know that this was right. He ran his fingertips along my thighs, up to my sweatshirt and stopped just underneath the fabric, where he traced smooth circles along my skin. Each little swirl just made me melt further into him.

"Wow." I whispered as I pulled my mouth from his, reminding myself that we were still in a public space, as empty as it may be.

"Yeah." He smiled, not a smirk, but a pure, genuine smile.

I shivered, though not really from the cold, and Damon squeezed me in return. Keeping one hand under my sweatshirt and bringing one to my hair, he held me close to him, tucked under his chin. I clutched at the fabric of his shirt, inhaling the smoky scent again and wishing to just stay there forever. He sighed, and I looked up at him to see what could possibly be causing him any distress.

"We should go check on your little brother." He answered my questioning gaze.

"Jeremy?" I replied.

He nodded, face somber. "His girlfriend was in there. John staked her, she didn't have a chance."

"Oh." I remembered that all was not well with the world. "Yeah. Yeah you're right. I need to go home first, though. My parents are probably worried sick right now."

"Alright, let's go." He pulled us both into a standing position, clearly having recovered some of his strength.

"I should go alone. It won't look good if I show up late with you." I reasoned.

"What, don't want your parents to think you were late because you were getting hot and heavy with me?" He teased, earning a glare in response. "Okay, fine. But I'm walking you to your car."

I looped my arm through his as we walked back to the school. There were fire trucks in the front of the building, and I wondered how the fire, and more importantly the bodies, would be explained. I knew that all of the vampires that were inside had intended to hurt Founding Family members tonight, but I still shuddered at the thought of all of them trapped there.

I called Elena while we walked to tell her about Jeremy's girlfriend, and noticed all the missed calls from my parents. Elena agreed to meet us at her house, but I knew I'd have to come up with a story to tell my parents about why I was late. When we reached my car, Damon pulled me into a hug.

"Promise me you'll be safe?" He asked.

"What danger could I possibly get into? All the vampires are gone." I pointed out.

"All but two." He said.

"Was Isobel . . ?" I trailed off, scared to finish the sentence.

"Isobel wasn't in there." He filled in for me. "She must've left town like she promised. Mayor Lockwood was, though."

"What? Mayor Lockwood was a vampire?" That just didn't seem possible.

Damon shook his head. "No, no he's not a vampire. We would've known. I don't know why the device affected him."

"Weird. God, that's awful. Poor Tyler." I sighed. "I wonder what cover story they're going to make up."

"Don't you worry your pretty little head over that right now. One thing at a time." He reached for my hand. "I'll meet you at Elena's?"

"Meet you at Elena's." I confirmed.

Damon leaned in for a chaste kiss, and was gone the second I got into my car. Once I was home, it took a lot of convincing for my parents to let me out again. I told them about the fire, leaving out the real cause, and claimed that I couldn't get out of town because of police traffic. They believed that Elena was torn up about the loss of her family's building, and agreed to let me go over there. I felt bad for lying to them all the time, but even if I could tell them the truth, it would take way more than fifteen minutes of explaining.

After throwing on a pair of jeans, I was finally on my way to Elena's. I hoped it wouldn't be a nuisance for Jeremy for me to be there; he barely knew me, and he thought I was only his cousin, but if anything I would at least be able to support Elena while she supported him. She was going to have a hard enough time breaking the news to him, with their relationship already strained as is.

When I got to Elena's, I parked my car in the street. As I walked up to her house, I noticed that she and Damon were talking on the porch. Neither of them had noticed me yet, and I wondered how Damon didn't hear me. Something about the way they were standing made me pause.

They were so close to each other. Too close. And Elena was staring at Damon with the same doe eyed expression she had used to get him to hand over the Gilbert device. Damon said something that made both of them smile before reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. Then he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. Just as he was pulling away, Elena turned her head, catching her lips against his.

Elena was kissing Damon.

I turned and ran.

* * *

_The spaces in between _  
_Two minds and all the places they have been _  
_The spaces in between _  
_I tried to put my finger on it _  
_I tried to put my finger on it _

_I think I might've inhaled you _  
_I could feel you behind my eyes _  
_You gotten into my bloodstream _  
_I could feel you floating in me _


	22. Chapter 22 - All This Time

**A/N: Here's Chapter 22, and the start of "Season 2" of Beauty of the Dark. Thanks so much for the support; over 40 people followed this Fic in October alone which is so incredible. As always, I love to read reviews and would especially love to read your thoughts, hopes, and predictions for Season 2. Thank you to KimmyWSmith for proofreading! XO, Eden.**

* * *

_Song: All This Time_

_Artist: One Republic _

_Six on the second hand_

_Two New Year's resolutions_

_And there's just no question_

_What this man should do_

_Take all the time lost _

_All the days that I cost_

_Take what I took and _

_Give it back to you_

_All this time_

_We were waiting for each other_

_All this time_

_I was waiting for you_

_We got all these words_

_Can't waste them on another_

_So I'm straight in a straight line _

_Running back to you_

Elena was kissing Damon.

I turned and ran.

I needed to get away. I couldn't be anywhere near either of them right now. Not caring if either of them heard me, I slammed my car door and sped back to my house. Deep down, I knew I shouldn't be driving, but there was no way I was going to sit in the street so close to _them_.

It wasn't until I pulled into my driveway that I let myself break down into tears. How could they do that to me? I knew I was deluding myself slightly. With Damon, it had just been one kiss- or, well, three kisses. There hadn't been any talk of exclusivity beyond that. He was free to kiss whomever he wanted. But . . . I really thought he cared about me. Evidently not.

All it took was kissing me to make him realize that he wanted Elena; the girl who's the spitting image of Katherine, the woman he's loved for over a century. I should have known it was too good to be true. That's what I get for trusting a vampire.

And Elena . . . my own sister . . . how could she? Only hours after encouraging me to go after Damon? Had she planned this all along? Did she want me to go after Damon so that it would be that much more rewarding when he finally chose her? I wasn't completely blind; I noticed the way she looked at him on multiple occasions. I had felt jealousy boiling deep inside me. When it came down to it, though, I truly thought she loved Stefan.

Oh god . . . Stefan. He was going to be devastated. The same day that he saved his brother's life, he went and betrayed him. There was no way that their relationship would survive this; they had already let a girl get in between them once and were only just starting to recover. Damon and Elena weren't just hurting me; they were hurting Stefan as well.

I cried until it felt like there was no water left in my body, sitting alone in my car. Only hours ago it had felt like everything was perfect. I was finally getting along with Stefan. Elena approved of my feelings for Damon; or said she did, at least. Damon told me that he _needed_ me. Now . . . god, I had lost my only friends. There was no way Caroline was going to choose me over Elena. Stefan probably wasn't even going to stick around to witness the aftermath of Elena and Damon coupling. I was going to be alone. Truly alone. Starting all over. Again.

My phone rang, snapping me out of my cry fest. _Elena Gilbert_ illuminated the screen, stabbing me like a thousand tiny knives. I wasn't even sure how much time had passed. It was already ten thirty. What time was it when I had arrived at Elena's? Of course she was calling me now. Enough time must have passed for her to realize what she had done. She and Damon must have come up with some way to break the news to me; and now were calling me to surreptitiously invite me over, oblivious to the fact that I already knew. I declined the call.

She called again. And again. I must have declined her call four or five times; each time it became a little more difficult to read her name on the screen, as it became more and more blurred with tears. The last time the phone rang I had to do a double take. _Stefan Salvatore_ was calling. I barely even remembered saving his number into my phone. It had been back when I first moved here. Elena must be really panicking to call me from his phone.

"What, Elena?" I snapped, finally answering the call.

"Um . . . it's Stefan." Stefan mumbled awkwardly through the phone.

"Oh. Right." I sniffed.

"Where are you? Are you sitting down?" He asked.

"Uh. Yeah?" I replied.

"Caroline and John are in the hospital. Elena's been trying to get ahold of you. It's not good." Stefan explained.

"What?" Oh. _Oh god_. "Caroline? And . . . and John? As in . . ."

"As in your dad." Stefan confirmed.

"What happened?" I could feel the blood drain from my face.

"Where are you?" Stefan asked. "I'll pick you up and take you to the hospital. I can explain then."

"I'm at home." I answered. "Elena's not with you, is she?"

"No, she'll meet us there. I'll see you in a minute, Lucy." He said.

"Right." I replied into a now-empty receiver.

When Stefan said a minute, he truly meant a minute. I guess he was capable of driving just as recklessly as Damon in an emergency. His car pulled up behind mine before I could even process what he had told me. I got into the passenger seat, not making eye contact with him.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine." I lied. "Just worried about them."

"Right." Stefan nodded.

I couldn't bring myself to tell him about Damon and Elena. Not now. It felt incredibly selfish, with Caroline and John in the hospital, to be concerned about our relationships. If I could even call what I had with Damon a relationship. Plus, I knew he'd be hurt and angry when he found out. I'd prefer if Damon was around for Stefan to unleash some of that anger on.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Caroline was in a car accident. John was attacked by one of the tomb vampires. They must have escaped from the fire and gone to Elena's house. We don't know anything beyond that." Stefan told me.

"What? Oh my god." I gasped. "How did they get into the house? Who invited them in?"

Stefan grimaced. "We don't know. Elena found John bleeding out in the kitchen; he wasn't much help."

"Oh my god." I repeated. "Is Jeremy okay?"

He nodded. "Jeremy's fine. He's upset about Anna, but Damon came by to talk to him earlier. He's not hurt. Whoever attacked John was only interested in attacking John."

That wasn't all Damon came by to do. At the mention of Damon, I went silent again. How was I ever going to face him? I knew Elena was going to be at the hospital, and that was going to be difficult enough. I wasn't sure what I'd do if Damon was there too. This was too much to handle at once.

"Hey." Stefan reached across the console to squeeze my shoulder. "It's going to be okay. They're going to do everything they can."

I nodded, unable to reply. I could feel my throat starting to choke up again. Stefan didn't deserve this. He had his faults, that much I knew. But the more I got to know him, the more it became glaringly obvious that he was good at heart. I didn't want him to feel the same pain that I felt right now.

When we arrived at the hospital, Stefan followed me inside and to the front desk of the emergency ward. A very frazzled looking nurse in scrubs sat at a computer, and the entire hallway was bustling with doctors and nurses. It was clear that Mystic Falls had experienced more drama than it's tiny hospital was used to handling in one night.

"Hello." Stefan greeted the nurse. "We're looking for two patients that were admitted earlier tonight. Caroline Forbes and Jonathan Gilbert?"

"Are you family?" The nurse eyed both of us.

I nodded. "John's my dad."

"And Caroline is very important to us." Stefan maintained eye contact with the nurse. "We'd very much appreciate it if you would tell us where she is."

The nurse looked to her computer. "Johnathan Gilbert is currently in surgery, and will be moved to room 204 when finished. Caroline Forbes is also in surgery, and will likely be moved to the ICU if she gets out. There's a waiting area on floor two, if you'd like to wait for them to get out."

"Thank you." Stefan replied, guiding me towards the elevator.

"_If _she gets out." I repeated.

"It'll be okay." Stefan tried to reassure me, but I could tell even he wasn't convinced.

The elevator doors opened, and I saw that Bonnie and Matt were sitting in the waiting area right ahead of us. Both of them looked incredibly tense.

Stefan patted my back awkwardly. "It looks like you'll be good from here."

"What?" I turned to him. "You're not staying?"

He shook his head. "Elena's already on her way. I'm going to keep an eye on Jeremy. He shouldn't be alone, not with whoever attacked John still out there."

"Oh. Right. Okay." I said. "Thanks for picking me up, Stefan."

He gave me one last nod, before turning and heading back into the elevator. I walked up to Matt and Bonnie, taking one of the empty seats next to them.

"Hey." Bonnie greeted me with a sad smile. Matt just continued to stare at the floor.

"What happened?" I asked her.

"Matt said Tyler was driving them and heard a noise." Bonnie gave me a knowing look. "It made him lose control of the car."

"Tyler heard a noise." I repeated.

Matt nodded. "She was fine. One second she was standing . . . and talking . . . and the next she had just collapsed on the ground."

"Oh my god." I leaned back. "She's still in surgery?"

"Yeah." Bonnie confirmed what I already knew. "It's not good."

"Damnit!" Matt yelled, causing Bonnie and I to jump, and raising the attention of a few passing nurses. "God damnit. I can't just sit here. I'm going to go see if anyone knows anything."

"Matt wait!" Bonnie and I both stood up after him.

Matt turned and shook his head, indicating not to follow him. I sighed in resignation as he stormed off down the hallway. I already knew his efforts were useless; if Stefan couldn't compel any more than what we already knew out of the nurses, Matt sure wouldn't be able to find anything else out.

"Tyler heard a noise?" I turned to Bonnie. "You don't think . . ."

"No. Tyler's not a vampire." Bonnie shook her head. "I would know. I get this feeling of death whenever I stand too close to Stefan or Damon. The device shouldn't have affected him. It had to have been something else."

"Wait. Damon said Mayor Lockwood was in the fire. The device affected him too." I remembered.

"Mayor Lockwood was in the fire?" She asked.

I nodded. "But Damon said he wasn't a vampire."

"Oh my god. Poor Tyler. The car accident and now this." Bonnie crossed her arms. "This is a nightmare."

"I know." _And it just got worse_, I thought, as I saw Elena step out of the elevator.

"Lucy! Bonnie! Thank god you're both all right." Elena called out to us, and instantly pulled me into a hug that made my skin crawl. She pulled back and looked at me quizzically. "What's wrong?"

"Really?" I retorted.

"Right. We're here. Everything's wrong." She nodded. "How's Caroline?"

"She's weak. They don't know if she's going to make it." Bonnie answered, sounding as exasperated as I felt.

"What?" Elena gasped, and crumpled forward to hug Bonnie. "Is there something that you can do? Like a spell or something?"

"She doesn't know how." My whole body stiffened as I heard Damon's voice behind me. "Do you?"

"No, I don't." Bonnie shook her head.

"No, you don't." Damon echoed. "Because it took Emily years to learn a spell like that."

"Oh, well I can take down a vampire." Bonnie countered. "That spell was easy to learn."

"I can give Caroline some blood." Damon offered.

"No. No way." Elena shot him down.

"No, no, no, just enough to heal her. She'll be safe in the hospital, and it'll be out of her system in a day. She'll be better, Elena." He reasoned.

"It's too risky! I can't agree to that." Elena argued.

"Do it." Bonnie said, causing all three of us to look at her in shock. "This is Caroline. Okay? We can't let her die. D0 it."

Damon matched Bonnie's stare. "If I do this, you and me? We call a truce."

"No. But you'll do it anyway." Bonnie replied sweetly. "For Elena."

A hint of surprise flickered across Elena's face, but she swallowed it and nodded. I felt like I was going to throw up. How did Bonnie know about Damon and Elena already? Were psychic powers part of her witch capabilities? Or was I really just the only one in the dark?

I took a few steps back to lean against the wall as Bonnie walked away. Without her there as a buffer, I really couldn't stand to be near Damon and Elena. It was taking every bone in my body not to scream at the two of them in front of the entire hospital. Elena stepped up to the nurses station to ask a question, and I debated for half a second making a run for it. But it was too late, Damon was already walking up to me.

"We need to talk." He murmured, sliding an arm around me.

"Yeah, no shit." I jerked away from him.

He actually had the audacity to look hurt by my reaction. As if he didn't deserve me snapping at him. As if he didn't deserve worse than me snapping at him. His eyes flickered from me back to Elena, who was just barely out of earshot.

"Not here." He said.

"Yes. Here." I hissed.

"You're not going to like this," He sighed, pinching his eyes shut for a moment. "Elena kissed me."

"I know." I crossed my arms. "I saw."

"What?" He recoiled. "You were there?"

"I said I would meet you at Elena's. Or did you forget that, too?" I could feel myself shaking as I tried to keep my voice from getting too loud.

"Wait- but Lucy- if you saw what happened, You _saw_ me pull away. I didn't want that." Damon pleaded with me.

_No, I didn't_. "I saw enough."

"I wouldn't do that to you. You _know_ me. Please believe me." He was staring at me so intensely that I was extremely thankful that I was wearing vervain and could stand my ground against him.

"I know you? I should believe you? I _know_ you were in love with a girl that looks just like Elena for a hundred and fifty years." My voice cracked and I could feel the tears forming in my eyes. So much for staying strong. "I _believed_ that because Elena's my sister that she actually cares about me, but she still-"

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on." Damon held up a hand to silence me.

He turned to look back at Elena, and I followed his gaze. Jenna had arrived at the hospital, and they were having some sort of disagreement in the middle of the hallway that was attracting the attention of a few surrounding people. He took a few steps closer, and I followed, while trying to remain subtle about the fact that we were eavesdropping.

"Yes. I did." Jenna insisted.

"No, Jenna, you didn't." Elena shook her head.

"Yes, I _did._" Jenna reiterated.

"Oh." Damon groaned loudly. "Mm. You've gotta be _kidding_ me."

Both Jenna and Elena's eyes snapped up to look at Damon. Elena looked confused, but Jenna just glared at him before rolling her eyes.

"Whatever. I need to go fill out paperwork for John." She sighed, shaking her head at Elena.

"Come on." Damon grabbed my arm as soon as Jenna walked away. "We need to go to Elena's. _Now._"

"I'm not going anywhere with you." I tried to pull away from him.

"Lucy. There isn't time for this right now. We need to go." His voice was firm. "I think I know who attacked John."

"What?" Elena and I said in unison.

I could hear Elena's heels clack behind me as she struggled to keep up with us. With Damon not letting go of my arm, I didn't really have any choice but to follow him out of the hospital.

"I'll explain when we get there." Damon replied. "Elena, you drove, right? Stay behind me."

He practically shoved me into the passenger seat of his car, and I really regretted taking Stefan up on his offer to drive me to the hospital. If I had driven, I wouldn't have to be alone in a car with Damon right now. He threw a cursory glance in the rear view mirror to make sure that Elena was actually behind him before speeding out of the parking lot.

"Are you going to explain to me what's going on?"I demanded. "Or was this just a ploy to get me alone so you could feed me whatever bullshit story you and Elena planned?"

"You were right. Elena's your sister, and she cares about you. Even if she and Stefan weren't in the running for _People Magazine_'s couple of the year award, she wouldn't throw herself at me knowing you and I had feelings for each other." He explained.

"Yeah? Well she did." I said curtly.

"No, no, no." He shook his head. "You didn't hear the first part of her conversation with Jenna. She had no memory of talking to Jenna when she got home tonight."

"So?" I raised an eyebrow.

"So think about it. What would make Elena act very _not_ like Elena? Do reckless things to hurt the people she cares about? Forget _entire_ conversations she had maybe two hours ago, tops?" He pried.

"I don't know, was she drinking tonight?" I snapped.

"No. What if it wasn't Elena?" He suggested.

"I'm not an idiot. I already told you I saw-"

"No." He cut me off. "You saw someone that _looked_ like Elena kiss me. Who do we know that looks _exactly_ like Elena, but doesn't give a damn about me, Stefan, or anybody else?"

"You don't think . . ." My stomach sank at the realization of what he was suggesting dawned on me.

He nodded grimly. "Katherine. She's back."

"But why would she be?" I asked. "She's been gone without a trace for a hundred and fifty years. Why would she come back now?"

"I don't know." Damon shrugged as he pulled into Elena's driveway. "But she's already proven that she's not here to make friends, and if I'm right she's been invited into Elena's house."

Elena pulled in behind him and she jumped out of the car. "What's going on? Who do you think attacked John?"

Damon shook his head. "Stay behind me."

Elena ignored him and stepped in front of us, keys bared in hand as if that would actually protect her from a vampire. Damon held out an arm to keep me from following her; not that I actually wanted to. She tentatively unlocked the door, opening it to reveal Stefan collapsed on the ground for the second time that evening.

"Stefan." Elena gasped.

"Elena." Stefan got up, eyeing her as if he wasn't really sure it was her.

"What happened?" Elena asked.

"Katherine happened." Damon answered.

Stefan kept his eyes on Elena for another moment before nodding. "He's right. Katherine's back."

"Oh my god. Are you- Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yes." Both brothers replied.

Elena looked shell-shocked. "She was here? Oh my god. Jeremy. Is he okay?"

Before she could even get an answer, Elena darted up the stairs, leaving me alone with Damon and Stefan. I leaned against the wall and sighed. So it really wasn't Elena that kissed Damon. But that didn't solve the Damon side of the equation. I saw him with Katherine. They were standing so close . . . and he kissed her cheek before she kissed him . . .

"Jeremy's fine." Stefan assured me, as if that was the only thing bothering me. "I was just upstairs before Katherine arrived, and she left as soon as she heard you at the door. She didn't have time to hurt him."

"I need water." I finally said, before heading into the kitchen, both brothers in tow.

Damon, who apparently knew Elena's kitchen better than I did, handed me a glass of water before I could even ask which cabinet the cups were in. Stefan looked at me suspiciously as I distanced myself from Damon; and I avoided eye contact with both of them as I drank. After all the crying I had done tonight, I really needed it, and it was also a welcome distraction from all of the problems at hand.

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked me.

"Of course not." I slammed the glass down. "Katherine's back. Caroline and John are in the hospital. Mayor Lockwood and Jeremy's girlfriend are dead. What else could go wrong?"

"Right." Stefan sighed.

"It's going to be okay, we'll figure this out." Damon tried to reach out for my arm.

"Don't." I snapped at him.

"Did she say what she wanted?" Damon asked Stefan before Stefan could raise any questions about us.

"No." Stefan answered.

"Woman certainly knows how to make an entrance." Damon muttered.

"She said she fooled one of us, at least," Stefan started. "What does that- what does that mean?"

"She pretended to be Elena with me too, when I showed up earlier tonight." Damon admitted.

"I told Jeremy." Elena interrupted as she came back into the kitchen. "I can't lie to him anymore."

"Are you alright?" Stefan walked over to her.

Elena shook her head. "No, I'm not alright. I thought that with all the tomb vampires gone things would get better."

"I know." Stefan said. "We all did."

"Katherine was in this house. That means that she's been invited in." Elena realized. "What are we going to do?"

"Move." Damon retorted.

Elena glared at him. "Very helpful, thank you."

"If Katherine wants you dead, there's zero you can do about it, you would be dead. But you're not. So clearly she has other plans." Damon pointed out.

"Right, and we need to find out what those other plans are and not provoke her in the process." Stefan shot a pointed look at Damon, emphasizing that he was worried about Damon provoking Katherine. "What happened tonight when you thought she was Elena?"

"Yeah Damon, what happened tonight when you thought she was Elena?" I crossed my arms.

"To risk another frown line encroaching on a very crowded forehead . . ." Damon hesitated. "She kissed me."

"And you thought it was me?" Elena looked disgusted.

"What do you mean you kissed?" Stefan asked.

"Well, you know, when two lips pucker and they go . . ." Damon imitated a kissing sound, unable to pass up on the opportunity to rile his brother.

"Wait, that's why you were acting mad at me earlier?" Elena looked at me. "You knew?"

I nodded. "Part of it."

Stefan lunged himself at Damon at a speed almost to fast for my human eyes to comprehend. I braced myself for the loud noise of the impact, but it never came. Damon must have predicted this move, and was now standing in Stefan's previous spot, next to Elena.

"Don't be obvious, Stefan." Damon mocked.

Stefan let out a low growl, eyeing Damon with a murderous gaze. Elena jumped in between them, holding up a hand to stop Stefan. Even in his rage, there was no way he would hurt Elena.

"Stefan wait. He kissed Katherine. Not me. I wouldn't do that." Elena turned to give what I could only assume was the meanest of glares to Damon, before turning back to look between me and Stefan apologetically. "To either of you."

"_I_ didn't kiss anyone. _She_ kissed _me_." Damon insisted.

Elena shook her head. "We don't have time for this, guys."

"Later." Stefan assured Damon that this wasn't over.

"John must know something. There has to be a reason why Katherine tried to kill him." Elena did her best to ignore the tension between the two of them.

"She's Katherine." Damon spat out. "She loves to play games and you're fooling yourself if you think you're going to find out what she's up to before she wants you to know."

"No actually, Elena's right. John could know something, through Isobel." Stefan reasoned. "Your mother, she was in touch with Katherine, so maybe we could go to the hospital and talk."

"I've got a better idea." Damon chimed in.

Elena sighed. "What's that?"

"I'm just going to ignore the bitch. See ya!" He turned to leave.

"Is that smart?" Elena asked.

"If Katherine thinks she's being ignored, it'll lure her out. She'll make a move." Damon said definitively.

"Yeah? Then what?" Stefan challenged.

"Stake her. Rip her head off. Something poetic." Damon shrugged. "We'll see."

"Elena, you're right." I ignored him. "We should talk to John. It's overdue, anyways."

"So you'll come with us?" Elena asked.

"Tomorrow. I'm going home." I shot a look at Damon. "_Alone._"

I paced out of the kitchen, not giving anyone the chance to protest me leaving. It wasn't until I reached the front door that I remembered I didn't have my car. I sighed, debating walking home instead of turning around and asking for a ride. But I didn't need to do either. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and forced a small smile when I looked up.

"Come on, I'll drive you." Stefan offered.

I nodded. He was probably the only person who at least somewhat understood how I felt right now. Even if Damon hadn't _actually_ kissed Elena, he still _thought_ he was kissing Elena. Stefan had shown he wasn't happy about that earlier. I wasn't exactly thrilled at the thought of leaving Damon and Elena alone, but it sure beat the prospect of asking Damon to drive me home. I couldn't stand to hear any more of his excuses right now.

"I'm sorry, Lucy." Stefan broke the silence after driving for a few minutes.

I looked at him quizzically. "For what?"

"That my brother hurt you." He said.

I shrugged. "It's not your fault."

"I told you he loved you. It is my fault." He insisted.

"You two need to stop taking the blame for each other's actions." I replied.

"Old habits die hard." He offered me a half smile.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry too. If you're feeling even a fraction of what I'm feeling, it sucks." I said.

"It was Katherine. Not Elena." Stefan reiterated; though likely for his sake as much as mine.

"But Damon thought it was Elena." I pointed out. "It's okay to be hurt by that."

"Do you believe him?" He asked. "That she kissed him, and not the other way around?"

"She did." I confirmed. "I saw it."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

I nodded. "But still."

"I know." He sighed. "I won't lie; I first talked to Elena because of her resemblance to Katherine. But I fell in love with her for her. And I always worried that Damon would just look at her and see-"

"A replacement Katherine." I filled in.

"A replacement Katherine." He repeated. "Until you came along, at least. He really was different with you. Katherine brought out his dark side, made him evil, and manipulative; it was always a competition. But when he met you . . . he was different. Good, almost. It was like he wanted to be better, for you."

"Yeah, that lasted all of two seconds." I retorted.

Stefan grimaced. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "Stop apologizing."

"Right. Truthfully I'm glad you needed a ride home; it gave me a distraction to keep me from killing him." He admitted.

I let out a cold laugh. "Yeah. I don't think I'd blame you for that."

The rest of the drive was in silence. As he pulled into my driveway, I was so thankful to see that my house was dark. I did not want to face questions from my parents right now. That could wait until morning. Not wanting a repeat of the last time he drove me home, Stefan walked me to the door. There was no sign of evil vampires lurking about this time.

Stefan patted my shoulder. "Try to get some sleep."

I huffed. "Yeah. Fat chance of that happening."

"I'll see you tomorrow?" He offered. "I'll take you and Elena to see John."

"Right." I confirmed. "Thanks, Stefan. I mean it."

He nodded. "Anytime."

Despite, or perhaps because of the stresses of the day, I could barely keep my eyes as I showered. I just managed to change into my pajamas and crawl into bed before I drifted into a restless sleep, knowing that tomorrow would bring a whole new set of issues to be dealt with. I should have known my nightmares would just echo the terrors of the day.

_When I got to Elena's, I parked my car in the street. As I walked up to her house, I noticed that she and Damon were talking on the porch. Neither of them had noticed me yet, and I wondered how Damon didn't hear me. Something about the way they were standing made me pause._

_They were so close to each other. Too close. And Elena was staring at Damon with the same doe eyed expression she had used to get him to hand over the Gilbert device. Damon said something that made both of them smile before reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. Then he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. Just as he was pulling away, Elena turned her head, catching her lips against his._

_Elena was kissing Damon. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't look away. I was frozen in place. She grasped his head, pulling him further into her. She looked over his shoulder, and her eyes found me in the dark. Even from a distance, they looked cold and menacing. She broke the kiss, and gave me a very un-Elena smile. This wasn't Elena. It was Katherine. _

"_What, you didn't think he'd actually want you, did you?" I looked to my right, but I didn't need to. I'd recognize that voice anywhere. Brandon. _

"_Yeah, not after what you did." Elena said to my left. Real Elena. _

_I looked away from both of them, and Katherine was standing right in front of me, giving me that same, empty smile. "It will always be me."_

* * *

_I don't know what day it is_

_I had to check the paper_

_I don't know the city_

_But it isn't home_

_But you say I'm lucky _

_To love something that loves me_

_But I'm torn as I could be _

_Wherever I roam _

_Hear me say _

_All this time_

_We were waiting for each other_

_All this time_

_I was waiting for you_

_We got all these words_

_Can't waste them on another_

_So I'm straight in a straight line _

_Running back to you_

I woke in the morning not feeling like I had gotten an ounce of sleep. Knowing that as much as I wanted to, I couldn't afford to lie around all day, I groaned before dragging myself into a seating position. I checked my phone and saw that Elena had texted me, letting me know that she and Stefan would be picking me up in less than an hour to go see John. Great.

I pulled on a flannel, jeans, and my favorite black boots. When I looked in the mirror, I saw that all the crying I had done yesterday was very prominent in my puffy eyes, but I didn't have any time to fix that if I wanted to talk to my parents before I left. I grabbed my phone and a jacket before heading downstairs. Like almost every morning, my parents were sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee while my dad read the paper. However, the headline of the paper was very different this morning.

_MAYOR LOCKWOOD PERISHES TRYING TO RESCUE CITIZENS FROM ELECTRICAL FIRE_

Of course they had found a way to not only cover up the real reason for the fire, but also make the Mayor out to be a hero in his final moments. I know I shouldn't think ill of the dead, but nothing that I had seen or heard about the Mayor made me think he was the type to run into a burning building to save people. And I pretty much knew for a fact he wouldn't run into a burning building to save vampires. But I should have known the paper wouldn't give us any answers as to the real reason he was there.

"Good morning." I said, walking over to the coffee pot.

"Good morning, sweetheart." My mom gave me a sad smile.

"Elena told me," I gestured towards the paper. "I'm really sorry dad. I know he was a friend of yours."

Dad cleared his throat. "I wouldn't say he was a friend, more so an acquaintance. But thank you, Lucy. I'm heading out shortly; the Founder's Council is helping Carol Lockwood set up for the wake, and I thought I'd help out."

Mom shook her head. "I can't believe they're having the wake so soon."

"That's Carol Lockwood for you." I shrugged. "She was probably up all night planning."

"Will you be going?" Mom asked. "I know you know Tyler."

"I'll meet you guys there, yeah." I nodded. "I'm going to stop by the hospital with Elena to visit John first, though. She's picking me up soon."

"John? John Gilbert? What happened to him?" Mom asked.

"The fire was in their family building, remember? I guess he got hurt in it somehow." I lied.

Dad raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realize you were still speaking to John."

"I'm not." Well, I wasn't. But I needed to, now. "I'm more just going to support Elena."

"Well that's very thoughtful of you, sweetheart." Mom said. "I know the night ended badly, but how was the rest of it? Did you hang out with Damon the whole time?"

"I'm not talking about Damon, mom." I suddenly became very interested in the mug of coffee I had poured.

"Why not? Did something happen?" She pried.

"I said I'm not talking about it." I shot back with probably a bit more bitterness than she deserved. "I'm sorry. Just, let's drop it, okay?"

She just nodded. Dad checked his watch, and noted that it was time for him to leave. He gave me a hug before heading out, and mom went upstairs to get ready for the wake shortly after. I was thankful that neither of them pressed the Damon topic any further. In fact, if I could compel everyone around me to just forget I ever knew him, I would.

I grabbed the paper that my dad left on the counter, and scanned the front page. Yesterday was clearly much more drama than _The Mystic Falls Daily_ was used to recounting. Between Mayor Lockwood's death, the fire itself, _and_ the Police Chief's daughter nearly dying in a car accident, the front page was crammed with tragedies. When Elena texted me that she and Stefan had arrived, I happily set the paper down, yelled upstairs that I was leaving before heading outside.

"Hey," Elena greeted me as I got into the car. "How are you feeling?"

"Fantastic." I replied sarcastically.

"Look, about Damon . . ." Elena sighed as she began to drive.

"Can we _please_ not talk about it, Elena?" I requested.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" She asked. "That was Katherine. Not me."

I leaned my head against the car window. "I know. But you haven't seen her Elena. She literally looks _just like you_. I really thought it was you."

"Please don't be mad at me. You're my sister. I wouldn't do that to you." She tried to catch my eye in the rear view mirror.

"I'm not mad at you." I sighed. "I'm just . . . mad. And hurt. And confused."

"Are you sure you're up for talking to John?" She asked.

"No." I shrugged. "But I'm sure as hell not gonna make you do it alone."

She smiled. "Thanks."

Stefan was silent. He had already said everything he needed to say to me last night, I guess. I was becoming very thankful for the fact that he never felt the need to fill silence with talking.

When we got to the hospital, we skipped talking to anyone at the front desk and went straight to John's room. He was asleep, or at least pretending to be. He had tubes sticking out of everywhere, bandages covering his arm, and he looked incredibly pale. He must have lost a lot of blood.

"John?" Elena tentatively tried to wake him.

He opened his eyes, and gasped when he saw Elena. The frantic beep of the monitor indicated that his heart rate had increased. He reached for the call button that was positioned beneath his unbandaged hand, but Stefan reached out to stop him, moving the button out of reach.

"I'm Elena, I'm not Katherine." Elena assured him.

"We know she did this to you." Stefan said.

"We need to know why." Elena demanded.

"Where is she?" John asked.

Stefan crossed his arms. "You tell us."

"I don't know." John shook his head and tried to sit up.

Stefan put a hand on John's shoulder, pushing him slightly. "You're a little too weak to play tough guy. Why don't you just sit back, answer a few questions."

Elena put a ring that I recognized as one of the Gilbert family rings into John's hand. "Please. Tell us why she's here. What does she want?"

"She'll try again." Stefan sighed, when John refused to answer. "We can't help you if you don't confide in us?"

"In you?" John spoke with as much hatred as his weakness would allow him to muster.

"In your daughters, then." Stefan said.

"My daughters should have driven a stake through your heart by now." John replied. "I haven't spoke with Katherine directly. So either kill me, or get out. Because I can't stand the sight of you with my daughters."

"You see the problem with such hatred? It's gonna get you killed." Elena's voice was choked up.

"Wait, wait. One more question." I interjected, grabbing Elena's arm before she could turn to leave. "Why did you separate us?"

"How did you girls find out?" John asked.

"Lucky guess." I crossed my arms. "Now answer the question. Why would you separate us?"

"When Isobel got pregnant, I made sure to find a nice family that would agree to raise our child outside of Mystic Falls. Away from all of this." John explained. "Peter and Elise . . . I never knew them. I was too young. But Grayson was in school with them. Promised me they were good people."

"You said that was because you couldn't bear to watch me grow up. But what about Elena?" I pressed.

"That was the truth." John insisted. "By the time we found out Isobel was having twins, Grayson and Miranda were having trouble getting pregnant. They begged me to let them have one of you girls, to not tell Peter and Elise. I didn't tell them that Isobel was in labor until you were already born, Elena. They got to the hospital just in time for Lucy's birth, and were none the wiser."

"No. I don't believe you." Elena shook her head. "You're saying Mom and Dad knew? That I had a twin? They separated us? _No._ They wouldn't do that to me."

"Well believe it. It's the truth." John said.

Elena choked on a sob before turning on her heel and storming out of the hospital room. I gave John one last disappointed stare before following after her, leaving John alone with Stefan. I caught up with Elena before she reached the elevators.

"Elena! Elena. Hey. It's okay." I hugged her.

"No, it's not okay." She cried. "If what he's saying is true . . . how could my parents do that to us? How could they be okay raising me knowing I had a twin sister out there?"

"I don't know, Elena." I squeezed her as hard as I could, any lingering misplaced resentment for the Damon and Katherine kiss instantly fading away. "They must have just really wanted a child, and knew they had so much love to give you that they thought you wouldn't miss me."

"I felt so alone." She sputtered. "When they died. I felt so alone. John was never around. Jenna was just as scared as I was. Jeremy was on drugs. I wish I had you then."

"I'm here now." I whispered. "They didn't know when they separated us that they were going to die. They couldn't have known."

"I just wish I could talk to them about it." Elena pulled away from the hug and wiped her eyes. "I wish I could ask them why. But I'll never be able to."

I nodded. "I know. And I'm sorry. I really am."

"I'm glad you're my sister. Even if I didn't know until now." She sniffed.

"I'm glad you're my sister too." I smiled.

"Hey, you alright?" Stefan finally caught up to us. I gave him an inquisitive look, wondering what had taken him so long.

"I'll be fine. John's just an ass." Elena leaned in to hug Stefan as he reached over to press the elevator button. ""How did you leave it in there with him?"

"I uh, I asked him to leave town." Stefan said, stepping into the elevator.

"Asked?" Elena raised an eyebrow. "You threatened him."

"Yeah, I threatened him." Stefan admitted. I let out a laugh; I liked bad cop Stefan.

"Good. I want him gone, Stefan. I know that I shouldn't feel that way but . . . I don't want someone like that in my life. Or Jeremy's life." Elena ranted.

"I know, I know." Stefan hugged her again.

"Let's just get out of here." Elena shook her head.

"Gladly." I nodded.

"Okay. I just have to swing by home to pick up Jenna and Jeremy so we can go to the Lockwoods." Elena's voice had returned to normal and she looked to me. "Are you coming with us?"

"Can you just drop me off at home and I'll meet you there?" I asked. "I should change first."

"Sure." Elena nodded as we all got into the car. "So what now?"

"Now . . ." Stefan hesitated, glancing at me. "I need to go find Damon."

"Please Stefan, don't fight with him." Elena sighed.

"No, Elena, he kissed you. Or thought he did. I'm not okay with that." Stefan argued.

"That's not the problem. Katherine is." Elena insisted. "She's already messing with both of your heads and Damon's not stable when it comes to her. Last thing we need is to make things worse."

"If you want to get just one punch in . . ." I suggested. "I would fully support that."

"Lucy, be reasonable." Elena pleaded with me.

"I'm always reasonable." I pouted. "It's perfectly reasonable for me to think Damon deserves to be punched _at least_ once."

Elena shook her head. "I should have known I was the older sibling."

I pretended to clutch at my chest. "Elena Gilbert. Was that _a joke_ you just made?"

She smiled. "Trust me. I'm going to tease you for being the younger twin every chance I get."

"I'll get the last laugh when you get the first grey hair." I shot back.

Elena just laughed. I could even catch a hint of a smile on Stefan's face in the rear view. Maybe _everything_ wasn't terrible. When I saw Elena- well, Katherine, kissing Damon, I knew I had lost him. Maybe I never even had him in the first place. But sitting here, I knew I at least wasn't going to lose Elena, or Stefan for that matter. A week ago I wouldn't have even care about losing Stefan, but now he was a friend. He had proven that much to me.

"Alright. We're here." Elena pulled into my driveway. "Are you sure you don't want me to wait? I can drive you."

"Nah it's fine. It's gonna take a while to make it look like I didn't cry for hours yesterday." I said, causing Stefan to grimace. "I don't think anyone would believe that I'm _that_ distraught over Mayor Lockwood."

"Okay, I'll see you there. Love you, Luc." She called out as I got out of the car.

I paused. "Love you too."

When I got inside, I realized that my mom had already left for the wake. I had to hurry up and get ready if I didn't want to be the last person in Mystic Falls to arrive at the Lockwoods. Too bad I had my work cut out for me.

I grabbed another cup of now-cold coffee, and headed upstairs to get ready. I had half a mind to just throw a bag over my head and call it a day. I washed my face, something I had neglected to do earlier that morning, and the cool water at least soothed some of the puffiness around my eyes.

God, what's even appropriate to wear to the wake of a Mayor? I settled on just some concealer to cover up the remaining redness, and mascara to make it look like I had actually slept. I swapped my flannel for a black v-neck sweater and threw on a nicer pair of black jeans. That had to be okay, right?

Elena called me just as I was heading down the stairs. I thought about just sending her to voicemail, as I would be there in less than ten minutes, but I decided to pick up so she wouldn't worry.

"Hey," I greeted her. "Don't worry, I'm just about to leave. I'll be there soon."

"No don't!" She shouted. "Katherine's here. Don't come."

I almost dropped the phone. "What? Katherine's at the Lockwoods'? _With you_?"

"Not in the same room, thank god. I don't know how we'd explain that one. But she's lurking around, _somewhere_." She muttered, her voice full of understandable disdain.

"Are my parents still there? I don't want them there if she's there. She's dangerous, Elena." I said, as if she didn't know.

"It's okay. Stefan and Damon are here. I don't think she'd try anything with this many people here anyways. But you should stay home, just in case." Elena reasoned. "And remember, don't invite me in. _I_ don't need to be invited."

"Okay, fine." I sighed. "Just make sure they keep an eye out, okay?"

"They will." She assured me.

"Any news on Caroline today?" I asked.

"She's fine. Damon healed her, like he promised." She said. "And speaking of Damon . . . Lucy, I talked to him. He's really torn up about you. I think I believe him. He really didn't want to kiss her, or me, or whatever. Maybe you should talk to him."

"I don't need to talk to him. I saw everything." I replied.

She sighed. "I won't force you. But I think this is what she wanted; to hurt both of you."

I grimaced. "Yeah, well, she got it then. I'm hurt."

"Lucy . . ." Elena trailed off.

"Don't worry about it." I said. "Be there for Tyler."

"Okay. Talk later."

"Bye." I hung up the phone.

So it was just me and an empty house for the rest of the afternoon. Not wanting to think anymore about what Elena said about Damon, I went into the living room to watch TV. I flipped through the channels for a little bit before I found a _Harry Potter_ marathon. It looked like it was currently fifteen minutes into _Prisoner of Azkaban_. Perfect.

That was just what I needed to take my mind off of the world. I was halfway through the fourth movie in the series by the time my parents got home, bearing pizza. My dad set the pizza down on the coffee table, and my mom came over to kiss my forehead.

"We didn't see you at the wake, sweetheart. Did you decide not to go?" She asked.

I shrugged. "Yeah, I got dressed and I just . . . couldn't do it."

"That's understandable." She patted my shoulder. "I saw Elena there; she looked very pretty."

I froze, not sure if she was talking about real Elena or Katherine. Not that it really mattered, if she didn't do anything of consequence. But still. I'd need to find some way to make sure they didn't accidentally invite Katherine into the house thinking she was Elena or something.

"Is this _Goblet of Fire?_" Dad asked, ignorant to me tensing up at the mention of Elena.

"Yeah. _Harry Potter_ marathon." I smiled.

"Awesome." He said. "I'll grab some plates, we can eat in here."

I sat sandwiched on the couch in between my parents, eating pizza and watching the movies. It felt almost like old times. We had gone to every single movie premiere as a family. Mom and Dad went to bed after the fifth movie ended, but I decided to stay up for the sixth one as well. It had nothing to do with the fact that I had eaten so much pizza I could barely move.

When the movie ended, I was so ready to crawl into bed. I considered just sleeping on the couch, but I knew my back would regret that in the morning. I trudged up the dark staircase, and into my bedroom. I nearly screamed when I turned on the light.

Damon was sitting at the foot of my bed.

* * *

_All this time_

_We were waiting for each other_

_All this time_

_I was waiting for you_

_We got all these words_

_Can't waste them on another_

_So I'm straight in a straight line _

_Running back to you_


	23. Chapter 23 - Under My Bed

**_A/N: Hi guys I'm alive just been too busy being depressed to write. Happy New Year to everyone hope you're doing well x -Eden._**

* * *

_Song: Under My Bed_

_Artist: Meiko _

_Now my eyes are wide open_

_Now that everything's been stolen_

_And I'm here to get it back from you_

_See I ain't wasting no more time_

_Gotta take back what's mine_

_What else am I supposed to do_

_Here I am_

_With my heart on the floor_

_And my love out the door_

_You should be knocking_

_But there it goes_

_I got nothing to show for_

_Except pictures I posed for_

_But I keep them in a box under my bed_

"Damon." I said. "You shouldn't be here."

"How was movie night?" He asked without looking up.

"Great. Until now." I shut my door, hoping the sound of his voice wouldn't wake my parents up. "How did you get in here?"

He nodded towards the window. "You should really lock it."

"Yeah. I'll make sure I do that. After you _leave._" I crossed my arms.

"Please. Just hear me out." He said.

For the first time since I had entered the room, he looked at me, and I was reminded of the night we met. His eyes were glazed and unfocused, and he had the same pained look that he did when he mentioned Katherine.

"Have you been drinking?" I asked.

"Only a bottle or so." He replied.

I sighed. "Damon, my parents are in the other room. You can't be here. Especially not like this. You have to leave."

I reached for his arm to pull him towards the window but he stood up before I could touch him.

"Please, Lucy." He said. "Listen to me."

He stared at me with an intensity that made me incredibly thankful for my vervain necklace. As it was, it was already near impossible to resist him. I could see the hurt in his eyes. I never wanted to see him hurt, no matter how much I felt hurt.

"Okay. Fine." I agreed. "But you have to promise to leave afterwards."

"I promise." He said. "Give me your necklace?"

I recoiled. "What? So you can compel me to forgive you? Absolutely not."

"No. _No._ Lucy I would never." He shook his head. "I want to show you what happened."

I reached for the clasp, but hesitated. Without the necklace, I was powerless against him. It would only take one carefully worded sentence for me to forgive him and forget that this interaction ever happened. Did I trust him enough to believe that he wouldn't do that?

"Even if you don't trust me, you can trust that Stefan and Elena would notice if I compelled you and they would never let me get away with it." Damon said, as if he could read me mind.

I nodded, and pulled the necklace off, clutching it tightly in my hand. My breathing hitched at his touch, but I didn't have time to kick myself for it before my vision was replaced with his.

_It was nightfall, and Damon was leaving Elena's house. Just as he closed the front door behind him, Elena stepped onto the porch. No, not Elena. Katherine. Katherine, with her hair perfectly coiffed, and holding Elena's costume from the float._

"_What are you doing here?" She asked. _

"_I thought Jeremy might need someone to talk to, seeing as his girlfriend is dead and last I checked he wasn't speaking to you." Damon said. _

_Katherine gave him a contemplative look. "That's . . . surprisingly thoughtful of you."_

"_What can I say? I'm a changed man, Elena." Damon reached for the dress she was holding. "Let me take this for you." _

"_Thank you." Katherine replied, as Damon set the dress down on the porch swing._

"_No, thank you." Damon turned back towards her. "Lucy told me that you said you were okay with us."_

"_Did she now?" Katherine asked, a coy expression flickering in her brown eyes._

"_She did. She won't say it, but I can tell your approval means a lot to her. It means a lot to me too, Elena." Damon said. _

"_It does?" Katherine asked. _

_Damon nodded. "I'm sorry. I know I wasn't good when I met you. I don't even know if it was in me. But somewhere along the way, you decided that I had the potential to be good. And I want to be good, for Lucy. Thank you." _

"_You're welcome." A smile twinged on Katherine's lips. _

_He reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "I'm glad my brother has you."_

_Damon leaned forward to kiss her cheek. It was quick, and soft, but as he was pulling away she turned her head and brushed her lips against his. Damon froze. Despite Katherine attempting to deepen the kiss, he did not move. _

_Damon pushed her away. "What are you doing? Elena she's your _sister_." _

"_Don't pretend. I see the way you look at me." Katherine smirked. "You can have us both." _

"_No, _no _Elena. I don't want that. God I have to go-" _

_The front door opened, interrupting Damon. Jenna was standing there looking as tense as ever. _

"_Hi." Katherine greeted her. _

"_It's late. You should probably come inside." Jenna said. _

_Katherine nodded, and without making eye contact with Damon followed Jenna's suggestion. Jenna gave Damon one last piercing glare before shutting the door, making it very apparent that she had seen the kiss. Damon went to sit in his car, checking his phone periodically before driving away. _

Damon pulled his hands away. "That's it."

I nodded as I pulled my necklace back on. Just like before, I had been able to feel everything Damon had felt. The initial warmth when he had spoken to Katherine about me, the shock when she kissed him, and the bare confusion he felt afterwards.

But is that just what he wanted me to feel? Could vampires fabricate emotions and have them seem as vivid as the real thing? How much could I trust what Damon had shown me?

"Please, Lucy. Say something." He said.

I just stared at him, wishing I could find the truth written on his face. He seemed like he was being honest. Everything he told me had lined up. It sounded very in character for Katherine to intentionally wreak havoc on Damon's life by kissing him. It wouldn't have made sense for him to kiss Elena, even if he had wanted to. He knew I was coming over so that we could check on Jeremy.

"So you did talk to Jeremy? Stefan mentioned that too." I finally said.

"Yes." He nodded.

"What did you say to him?" I asked; Damon sighed. "Damon. Just tell me."

"I told him that I saw Anna get killed, and that there wasn't anything I could do to stop it no matter how much I wanted to. Then I told him that I know that this probably feels like the end of the world for him, that there's no way he could possibly go on. I know, because I thought I lost the love of my life once too." He said.

"Damon-"

"But I promised him that it would be okay. That I had hurt for so long that I thought that's all that life would ever be. And then . . ." He looked at me. "Then I finally met someone. Someone that reminded me that there was still good in the world. In me. I met you."

I held his gaze for a moment. "Fine."

"Fine. Fine what?" He asked.

"Fine I believe you, fine I forgive you, I don't know. Just fine." I said.

"You don't sound fine." He replied.

"_I'm_ not fine. I have the permanent image of my twin sister throwing herself at you burned into my mind. From two different angles, mind you." I realized my voice was getting a bit too loud and lowered it. "But you . . . I care about you, I trust you way too much to not believe you."

"You trust me?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yes. I trust you."

"Good. Because I was going to stick around to protect you from Katherine whether you like it or not." He smiled. "But I'd much prefer that you like it."

"It's not me that I'm worried about needing protection from Katherine." I said.

Damon tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"My parents." I replied. "They don't know that there's a psychotic Elena look alike lurking around. All it takes is one 'sure Elena, come on in. Lucy's right upstairs!' for her to have permanent access to my house. And then I really will have to move."

Damon let out a laugh as I fell back onto the bed. "You've put a lot of thought into this, haven't you."

"It's not funny." I sat up. "Can't you just compel them to never verbally invite Elena or anyone who looks like Elena into the house and then compel them to forget all about the conversation?"

"Well I _could_," He said. "But there might be a problem with that."

"What's that?" I asked.

"You were wearing vervain and had no idea. Plus, your dad is awfully close with Mayor Lockwood. Who's to say they aren't already vampire-proofed?" He pointed out.

"Right. If my parents know about vampires, you'd basically be outing yourself. If not, but they're somehow wearing vervain, it would still raise a lot of questions." I realized. "This sucks. Why is she here? What does she even want?"

"Oh, right. You missed the little rendez-vous at the wake. She wants Stefan." Damon said.

"Stefan. She wants . . . Stefan." I replied.

"Hey, don't be rude. Not everyone can have exceptional taste." He winked. "Apparently she loves him or something."

"So she _loves_ Stefan, but she kissed you. How does that make any sense?" I asked.

"It's Katherine. She doesn't need to make sense." He said. "I'm still not convinced she's even capable of love. There could be another reason she's back in town that she's not telling us."

"Great." I sighed. "What could that possibly be?"

"Who knows. We'll figure it out. Along with everything else." He sat down next to me on the bed.

"Let's see, what's first on the agenda for solving our life problems?" I teased.

"Well, I don't know about you, but tomorrow I plan on going to the Lockwood's tomorrow to see if I can figure out why the Gilbert device affected douchebag and douchebag junior." He said. "Then in the evening, I plan on taking you on a real date."

"A real date?" I raised an eyebrow. "What do you have planned for that?"

"I don't know, I thought your school carnival sounded like it could be pretty romantic." He suggested.

"How is it that you know more about what goes on at my school than I do?" I asked.

"Because I actually listen to people when they talk, whereas you are always staring out the window daydreaming about my _beautiful blue eyes._" He said.

"I do not!" I laughed. "Fine. I'll go, but only if you agree to buy me cotton candy and kiss me at the top of the ferris wheel."

"That can be arranged." He smirked at me.

"Fantastic." I clasped his arm. "Now leave."

"What?" He asked.

"Did you or did you not promise to leave afterwards if I agreed to hear you out?" I reminded him.

"I thought that was only if you decided you didn't believe me." He replied.

I shook my head. "Nope. I'd rather my parents not find you here in the morning."

"Oh please, as if they could possibly catch me." He tapped his ear. "Vampire hearing, remember?"

"_Damon._" I warned.

In truth, I wanted nothing more than for him to stay. It would be so nice to have him by my side, especially with Katherine lurking out there. But that was just too much, too fast. He had to leave, and I had to go to sleep so that school didn't make me completely miserable tomorrow.

"You're being serious, aren't you?" He asked, and I answered with a nod. "Fine, I'll leave. But you better lock that window behind you."

"I will, I promise." I replied.

"Good. Should I pick you up tomorrow?" He asked.

"Meet me there, I'll already be at school." I said.

"Then I will see you tomorrow." He leaned forward and my breathing hitched as he got closer to me. "Wait, am I allowed to do this again?"

I nodded. "Definitely allowed."

He pressed his lips to mine and I tried and failed to push images of Katherine kissing those same lips out of my mind. That only made me kiss him back harder, wanting to erase all traces of her from his skin. His arms circled around me, and for a moment I debated changing my mind about telling him to leave. But I knew that was a bad idea.

I put a hand on his chest. "Okay. Goodnight, Damon."

He kissed me one more time. "Goodnight, Lucy."

Then he was gone, out of the window before I could even register that he was actually leaving. I walked over to the window to lock it, and saw him standing there in the yard looking back at me, making sure I actually listened to him. Not that it mattered; an uninvited vampire couldn't get in unlocked window or not, and an invited vampire couldn't be stopped by anything. I gave him a small wave, and he waved back before disappearing into the night.

I threw on my pajamas and fell back into bed, a warm feeling in my stomach. It almost scared me how quick I was to forgive Damon, but that the same time I wasn't sure if there really was anything to forgive. I meant what I said, I trusted Damon. He was the person I called when something went wrong because I knew he would do everything in his power to fix it. It was all Katherine; she was the problem.

She said she came back to Mystic Falls because she was in love with Stefan, yet the first thing she did upon returning was kiss Damon. Her words from the one hundred and fifty year old memory that Damon showed me rang through my head. _Is it so wrong for me to want you both? _Did Katherine still want them both?

I was so exhausted I couldn't fret over Katherine for long. Still warmed by thoughts of Damon, I drifted into one of my rare dreamless sleeps, knowing that all of my problems would still be there tomorrow.

* * *

_I told you time and again_

_That you'd never win_

_I told you time and again_

_But you keep doing the same old things_

_When I thought you would change_

_I told you time and again_

At school the next day, I was faced with a new mission: avoiding Elena. Apparently Caroline had been in charge of organizing the school carnival, and since she was still recovering in the hospital, Elena had decided to step up and take over. Unfortunately for everyone around her, she thought that meant that we also should step up and help her out.

"You're the worst sister ever." She tried to guilt me after catching me in the hallway on my way to history class.

"Really? I think Katherine is the worst sister ever." I said.

Elena frowned. "Katherine isn't our sister."

I shrugged. "She _looks_ like she could be our sister."

"I'm pretty sure she's our great-great-great grandmother." Elena said.

"I think you missed a great in there." I replied.

"You're changing the topic. Even Jeremy's helping out." Elena nodded across the hallway to where Jeremy and Stefan were chatting. "Hey, Jeremy!"

I thought that was going to be my chance to escape, but unfortunately she thought so too. Elena grabbed my arm and dragged me towards Jeremy's locker.

"Jeremy!" She repeated, snapping him out of his conversation with Stefan. "Have you-"

"Yeah, yeah. I set up the goldfish toss, all three hundred goldfish. It's gonna be epic." Jeremy rolled his eyes, clearly feeling the same way about assigned volunteer service as I did.

Then he slammed his locker shut and walked off. Come to think of it, I don't think he and Elena ever made up after he realized she had lied to him about the whole vampire thing. I kind of assumed that after Anna died the grief would bring them together, but that assumption was clearly incorrect.

"He's gonna be alright." Stefan tried to comfort Elena. "He's just been through a little bit of an ordeal."

Elena sighed. "I was just hoping that this carnival would reel him back into the land of high school teenager."

"Oh, is that what we're doing here?" Stefan asked.

"That's what some of us are doing here." Elena glared at me. "Some of us aren't on board with being normal, boring high school students who live in a world where the v- word is not uttered."

"Hey," I protested. "That would be pretty hard for me to do when I'm going on a date with a v-word tonight."

"You're what?" Elena turned to me. "You guys made up?"

I nodded. "He came over last night and we . . . talked."

"You could have told me that sooner." Elena frowned.

"I could have, if I could get a word in edgewise between all your talk about the carnival." I replied.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I just . . . want it to be perfect. For Caroline. Since she can't be there."

It honestly isn't fair when she pulls the whole doe eyes thing on me. I mean, we have practically the same eyes. How am I supposed to look into my _own_ eyes looking all sad and pleading and say no? Between her expression and Stefan looking at me with his usual brooding inquisitiveness, I felt like I was facing good cop bad cop. What can I say? I crack under pressure.

"Okay, fine. I'll help. But only with set up, I'm not volunteering to man the balloon dart booth or whatever it is you have planned."

"Thank you thank you!" Elena smiled. "No booth manning, promise. I just need to you to unbox and set up some of the prizes. You have an eye for that sort of thing, right?"

"Sure." I shrugged. "So do I have to start now or does child labor still somewhat value my education?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "You can start after school. Come on, let's go to class."

History class was the usual. It was kind of hard to take Ric seriously as a teacher when, well, I call him _Ric_ now. He was so tightly wrapped up in our personal lives that sometimes I forgot he wasn't also a student.

Stefan kept shooting me looks during class. I thought about whispering something snarky that only he and his vampire hearing would pick up, but it didn't seem worth it to have a one sided exchange. I knew he was judging me for not wanting to help with the carnival earlier, but come on, Stefan. If I helped out with every event in Mystic Falls I'd never have the chance to breathe.

The bell rang, and students began filing out in an excited chatter while Ric tried to remind us that extracurricular activities did not excuse us from doing the assigned reading and heavily hinted that there might be a pop quiz tomorrow. I tried to follow everyone else out but Ric caught my eye.

"Lucy, can I talk to you for a second?" He asked.

"Sure." I agreed.

He was probably going to lecture me on not zoning out during class. To be fair, he did pick one of the toughest classes to make interesting to teach. He waited for everyone to leave before shutting the door behind him.

"Whatever I did, I won't do it again?" I offered sweetly.

He chuckled. "You're not in trouble. I wanted to check in, see how you were doing."

"Fine, I guess. All things considered." I replied.

"Yeah, well, _all things considered_ I wanted to give you something." He reached into one of the drawers of his desk. "I believe I promised you some training in defense against vampires."

He handed me the item. It was a stake; a relatively small one, shorter than my forearm, but it still looked rather sharp. I was half expecting Ric to avoid teaching me how to defend myself against a vampire at all costs. He must really be worried about Katherine.

"Do you know how to use it?" He asked.

"Pretty self explanatory, I think." I said.

He shook his head. "You would think, but no. If you aim directly for a vampire's heart, at least with your human strength, all you're going to hit is bone. You need to get them under the ribcage, and if you can't do that just get them anywhere as hard as you can. Any injury caused by wood will slow them, but it won't stop them."

I nodded. "Them being Katherine."

"Them being Katherine." He agreed. "Look, I don't know much about Katherine, but if my wi- if Isobel is reporting to her, she can't be good news."

"Wait, Isobel is reporting to Katherine?" I asked. "Since when?"

Ric looked at me. "No one told you? We found out when Damon first went to talk to Isobel."

"Must've slipped everyone's mind with the whole Isobel threatening to turn me into a vampire thing." I suggested.

"Must have." He said. "Look, you should get to your next class. But make sure you keep that hidden; you don't want to go broadcasting to the world that you're ready to fight a vampire."

"That's it? No vervain grenade?" I joked, slipping the stake into my sleeve.

"I wouldn't want to risk you blowing it up in Damon's face." He replied.

"You know he and I made up, right?" I asked.

"I know." He said. "It just seems like something you would do on accident."

"I would never." I said. "Alright, Ric. See you later."

He nodded. "I'll be around."

When I stepped out of the classroom, Stefan was waiting in the hallway wearing one of his usual brooding Stefan faces. Elena was nowhere insight.

"Do you have a minute?" He asked me.

"Wow I'm the woman of the hour." I replied. "Sure, what's up?"

"Not here." He said, glancing at all of the students in the hallway.

I followed him into an empty classroom. "Is something wrong, Stefan?"

"I don't know. You tell me." He said. "Did Damon compel you to forgive him?"

I laughed. "No, but he said that you might think that."

"You went from hating him to going on a date with him very quickly." Stefan noted.

"Because I was wrong about what I saw. Or, partially wrong. But he showed me everything, and I believe him" I explained.

He studied my expression for a moment. "How sure are you?"

"Very sure." I replied.

"So sure that you'd take off your necklace and let me ask you again?" He asked.

I crossed my arms. "You want to compel me to make sure that I wasn't compelled?"

He sighed. "Look, I'm just worried that with Katherine showing up he might feel inclined to turn to his . . . old ways. I'm just looking out for you, okay?"

"And I appreciate that," I said. "But I trust Damon. You should too, he's your brother."

"Okay," He nodded. "But don't think I won't be keeping an eye on him."

"Isn't it supposed to be the older brother that looks out for the younger one and not the other way around?" I teased.

"Well, when you have Damon as an older brother . . ." He smiled. "I've taken up enough of your time, get to class."

"Will do. Thanks, Stefan." I said.

He gave me one last nod before I headed off to my math class, now very late. The rest of the day went on in the typical dull fashion, only slightly elevated by the excited chatter of students anticipating the carnival.

After classes ended, I reported straight to Elena and got to work setting up prizes in the game booths. I tried my best with laying them out, but really having dozens of stuffed Bart Simpsons staring back at you is creepy no matter what. The sun had nearly set by the time I finished, and I was just getting ready to head back into the school when I felt a pair of arms slide around me.

"Hey beautiful," Damon said.

"You should know better than to sneak up on someone who could kill you." I turned around, sliding the stake out of my sleeve with a smile on my face.

"Lucy, put that away." Damon hissed, grabbing my arm. "You do not want to be advertising that you're ready to hunt a vampire. Where did you get that?"

"It's fine, no one's watching." I rolled my eyes, but made sure it was hidden. "Ric gave it to me. I told you that he was going to teach me how to fight a vampire."

"I think I may need to have a talk with Ric about teaching my girlfriend how to kill me." Damon said.

"Oh, I'm your girlfriend now?" I asked.

He froze. "I mean I - I kind of assumed."

I laughed. "If that's your way of asking, I'm pretty sure you're supposed to take me on a date first."

"Well, that's what I'm _trying_ to do but somebody seems a little busy brandishing weapons outside." He replied.

"It's literally dark outside. But fine, let me just put my backpack inside and then I am all yours." I said.

"All mine, I like the sound of that." He smiled. "So what else did you get up to today, or do I not even want to know?"

Damon slid his arm around me and pressed a quick kiss to my temple. I couldn't help to suppress my grin as we began to walk back towards the school. The back parking lot had been fully converted into a fairground, and the night was lit up by the different colors emitted from the rides. Students were starting to fill up the space, and the whole night felt vibrant.

"Well, your brother thinks you compelled me." I told him.

"Does he now?" Damon commented.

"Yes, but you said that might happen. Elena on the other hand was so preoccupied planning this whole thing that I'm not even sure she would have reacted if I told her you tried to kill me." I replied.

"I'm glad to know my dear brother has so much faith in me," He said. "But at least he's looking out for you."

"What about you?" I changed the topic as we walked into the school. "Any family secrets uncovered at the Lockwoods?"

"Not yet," He shook his head. "There's something weird about that Tyler kid and his Uncle though. I'm just not sure what."

"You could always ask him." I nodded towards the arm wrestling booth that the wrestling team had set up, where Tyler was getting ready to face off with another student.

"This should be interesting." Damon said. "You mind if we watch this for a second?"

"Sure." I shrugged.

We leaned against the wall, and Tyler slammed the other boy's arm to the table within seconds. Poor kid. He looked a bit scrawny, he really didn't stand a chance.

"Would you say Tyler is an angry or aggressive person?" Damon asked.

"What are you, his therapist?" I joked. "I don't know. He and Matt almost got into a fight the first time I met him. They _did_ get into a fight at that one party at the Lockwood's."

Damon's eyes narrowed as he watched Tyler. "What were they fighting over?"

I grimaced. "Well, the first time Tyler was hitting on me and wouldn't leave me alone. The second time Tyler kissed Matt's mom."

Damon's head snapped to look at me. "He was hitting on you?"

"Easy," I laughed. "I wasn't interested."

"Why weren't you interested?" He asked.

"He's a dick." I stated.

"_I'm_ a dick." He replied.

"You're Damon." I said.

I wrapped my arm around his and leaned my head on his shoulder. The jealousy was entertaining, albeit sorely misplaced. Tyler had turned me off from the moment I met him. Damon? Well, it was pretty much the opposite.

"Wow, you're lurking." Stefan had snuck up behind us.

"I'm observing." Damon replied.

"More like obsessing." Stefan countered.

Tyler overpowered one of his football teammates as if it took no effort whatsoever. The circle forming around him cheered; so far no one had been able to beat him.

"He's got strength." Damon said.

"He's a triple letter varsity athlete, of course he has strength. You're reaching." Stefan replied.

A slightly older man stepped up to challenge Tyler. He was admittedly pretty good looking, and looked like he had some decent sized muscles. This round might actually have a bit of tension to it.

"Who's that?" I wondered out loud.

"That's his uncle, Mason." Damon answered my rhetorical question.

Stefan shook his head. "This is ridiculous."

Just as I predicted, Tyler was actually struggling against his uncle. Much to my surprise, it looked like his uncle was struggling as well. Eventually, he beat Tyler, much to Tyler's obvious displeasure.

"Is that it?" He mocked Tyler.

"All right, he's the champ." Tyler admitted. "Who wants to go next?"

"Stefan wants a go." Damon shouted.

"Thanks." Stefan muttered, glaring at Damon. "Yeah, sure, I'll uh, give it a shot."

"Get 'em Stef!" Damon yelled.

I elbowed him. "Why would you do that? Obviously Stefan can beat him."

"Just testing something." Damon said.

The bell rang, and I braced myself for Stefan to immediately slam Mason's arm into the table. It didn't happen. Fair enough, he didn't want to draw attention to his superhuman strength.

Both of them were white knuckled. Mason looked cocky, and Stefan looked frustrated. Their arms were shaking, but Mason pushed Stefan's arm down. Damon let out an audible huff of annoyance.

"You didn't put in any effort at all." He shot at Stefan when he came back over to us.

"Yeah, actually, I did." Stefan replied, looking concerned.

Damon took my hand. "Come with me."

We all walked to a slightly emptier hallway. Damon looked worried, which made me worried as well. First the device affected Tyler and his dad, now Mason had the strength to beat Stefan at arm wrestling? Was it possible the Lockwood's really were vampires?

As if reading my mind, Damon addressed Stefan. "Is he -"

"No, no, it wasn't that kind of strength." Stefan cut him off, voice low. "But it was more than human, if that makes any sense."

"What is up with that family?" Damon growled in frustration. "If they're not vampires then what the hell are they?"

"Ooh, um, maybe they're ninja turtles." Stefan said. I snickered; Damon was not amused.

"You're not funny." He glared at Stefan.

"Or no, Zombies. Werewolves." Stefan continued.

"No comedic timing. At all." Damon said.

It wasn't the best of jokes. But it was coming from Stefan. I'm pretty sure I could count the number of times I had even seen him smile on one hand. We couldn't be too critical of his jokes, even if he was developing a sense of humor a hundred and fifty years too late.

"What, what are you up to?" Stefan asked Damon, clearly noticing something I hadn't.

"Since this is reality, and there's no such thing as werewolves, or combat turtles." Damon let go of my hand and walked towards a man who looked to be fixing a speaker.

"I said 'ninja turtles'" Stefan called after him.

"Hey, you." Damon addressed the man.

He glared at Damon. "I have a name."

"Yeah, I don't care." Damon took him by the shoulders. "I need you to pick a fight with someone. Kid named Tyler Lockwood."

"Damon don't do this." Stefan warned.

"No, no, it's just an experiment." Damon waved him off. "Get him mad. Don't back down, no matter what he does, okay?"

"I won't back down." The man repeated.

"I know you won't." Damon patted him on the back, shoving him in Tyler's direction.

"Damon what the hell?" I glared at him. "You can't just compel people because you're bored and want entertainment."

Stefan crossed his arms. "You do realize someone is gonna get hurt, right?"

"No, someone's going to get mad. As in rage." Damon replied, ignoring me.

"And what's that gonna accomplish?" Stefan asked.

"That Tyler kid likes to fight. Let's see who intervenes." Damon said. "Maybe it's the ambiguously supernatural mystery uncle."

"Yeah, great idea. While you're off starting fight club, I'm just gonna go put my backpack in my locker." I said.

I stormed away from them, feeling somewhat disgusted. Stefan had warned me that he was worried that Damon might revert to his old ways, but I was so focused on the fact that he wasn't like that with me I never even considered he might act that way with other people.

"Lucy, wait!" Damon called after me. "Are you mad at me?"

I turned to face him. "No, why would I be mad at you? You're only toying with defenseless humans for fun."

"That's not-"

"No, Damon." I cut him off. "Do you know what that's like to watch? It feels awful. The only difference between me and that man is this necklace."

"I didn't do that for fun." He protested.

"Sure seemed like it to me." I retorted.

He put his hands on my shoulders. "Lucy, look at me. If Mason really is some sort of supernatural creature we have no idea what we're up against. He and the rest of that family could be a danger to you, and Elena, and all your friends. We have to be able to protect you."

"Oh." I said.

"Yeah." He replied. "That guy will be fine. I promise."

"How do you know?" I asked. "You're not even watching him."

"Stefan went after him." He assured me. "Look, let's just forget about all of this for the rest of the night. Stefan's taking care of it, we can figure out what's going on tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." I nodded.

I led him to the completely empty hallway where my locker was and stashed my backpack away before excusing myself to the bathroom. I really just needed a moment to clear my head so that I could enjoy a nice, normal date with Damon. Deep down, I knew that he was right. Even Stefan seemed worried about Mason.

It was bad enough to have Katherine in town, apparently intent on wreaking havoc on our lives. There was no way that Tyler's uncle could have overpowered Stefan without some sort of superhuman strength; I knew how strong he and Damon were. If the Lockwoods weren't vampires, we really didn't know what they could be or what they were capable of.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, trying to figure out when my life had turned into this. With John and Isobel as my birth parents, maybe it was just inevitable. Maybe it had always just been a matter of time before the supernatural showed up at my door.

I heard a crash from the hallway, and snapped out of my musings. No sound followed, and I tensed at the million possibilities that could be out there.

"Damon?" My voice echoed through the empty bathroom.

He didn't respond. I debated staying where I was for a moment, but realized that I had already revealed myself to whatever was out there by calling out for Damon. I wrapped my hand around the still hidden stake and slowly pushed open the door. Damon was on the ground in the middle of the hall, looking absolutely bewildered.

"Damon?" I sat next to him, looking around for signs of anyone else. "What happened?"

"Katherine." He replied.

"What? She's here?" I asked.

"No. Maybe. I don't know." He shook his head. "She turned blondie into a vampire."

"Caroline?" I gasped.

He nodded. "She's strong. And pissed. And confused. We need to find Elena. Now."

Just like that, any chance we had at having a normal night was gone. He picked us both off of the floor in one motion, keeping a hand on my back as we went back outside to look for Elena. Thankfully, it didn't take us long to find her by one of the booths, clipboard in hand. I paused to make sure it really _was _Elena, and took off towards her as soon as I saw she was wearing the same shirt from earlier.

"Elena." Damon tried to get her attention.

"I'm busy, Damon." She didn't even look up.

"I know, but I need you to come with me." He said.

"Whatever it is, I'm not interested." She replied.

"Yeah, I need you to come with me right now, Elena." He repeated.

She looked up, and her eyes went from Damon, to me, and back to Damon. Our expressions must have been enough to convince her, as she nodded and set her clipboard down. Damon squeeze my shoulder and turned to lead us back into the school.

"Text Stefan." He told her. "Tell him to meet us in Ric's classroom."

"What's going on, Damon?" She asked, but followed his instructions.

"Not here, Elena. Definitely not here." His eyes flickered around to all the students, and I knew that he was looking for any sign of Caroline or Katherine.

We got to Ric's classroom, and sat down on his desk while we waited for Stefan to show up. My head was spinning. Why Caroline, of all people? What was Katherine trying to tell us? That no one was safe? We already knew that. God, Caroline must be freaking out. I know I would be.

"You might want to sit down, Elena." Damon suggested.

"What is it? Whatever it is, just tell me, I can handle it." Elena said.

"You were right." Stefan came into the classroom. "About Mason, you were right. Definitely not human."

"Mason? Mason Lockwood?" Elena asked. "What?"

"Yeah. Lockwood family's hiding something. Great. Lucky for us, that's not even our biggest problem right now." Damon said.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked.

"Katherine turned Caroline into a vampire." I answered before Damon had the chance to, knowing he would probably frame it in the most insensitive way possible.

"No." Elena shook her head. "No she didn't. You're lying."

"She's not lying, Elena." Damon said. "Katherine sent her to tell me 'game on.' Trust me, message received. She's a vampire."

Elena paced back and forth along the windows. "_No._ Not Caroline. She was supposed to be left out of all of this."

"How did this happen?" Stefan asked Damon.

"Well, I fed her blood, and Katherine obviously killed her. A plus B equals . . ." Damon trailed off.

"But why?" Elena asked.

"Because Katherine is a manipulative, nasty little slut." Damon replied.

"And she said 'game on?' I mean what does that even mean?" Stefan asked.

"It means she's playing dirty. She wants us to know." Damon said.

"But why Caroline?" Elena asked the same question I had been wondering.

"I don't know." Damon threw his head back in exasperation.

"Caroline must be completely out of her mind. She has no idea what's happening to her." Stefan said.

"Oh, I think she does." Damon's jaw clenched. "All of my compulsion from the past started wearing off the minute she was in transition."

"What? What compulsion?" I asked him. He had left that part out earlier.

"We have to find her." Stefan said.

"Yep." Damon agreed. "And kill her."

"Damon-"

"You're not gonna kill Caroline." Elena cut me off.

"She knows who we are. She's officially a liability. We've gotta get rid of her." Damon insisted.

"Damon. Absolutely not." Stefan replied. All three of us were glaring at him.

"Need I remind you of a tragic little story of a girl named Vicki Donovan?" Damon pointed out. "Yeah. Caroline of all people will not make it as a vampire. Her mother's a vampire hunter. Guys come on, we all know how this story ends, so let's just flip to the last chapter and-"

"It's not and option, Damon." If looks could kill, the one Elena was giving Damon certainly would have ended him.

I was definitely on Elena's side with this one. I couldn't believe that was Damon's solution. It wasn't Caroline's fault she got turned into a vampire; she shouldn't have to die for it. If anything, it was Damon's fault for giving her blood. Though I'm sure Katherine would have been just fine working around that one had she needed to.

"No?" Damon challenged her. "Your silence is deafening, Stefan. Wait, wasn't there a school carnival the night you staked Vicki? Talk about a town where history repeats itself. You know I'm right."

"Stefan?" I questioned him, unable to read his expression.

"We're not gonna kill her." Stefan finally said.

"It's the only way." Damon insisted.

"No. It's not. Who knows what she's going through better than two vampires? You can

help her." I said. "We have to find her."

"That bit we can all agree on." Damon nodded. "Let's just hope the body count isn't too high by the time we do."

"We'll split up, cover more ground. Come on, Elena." Stefan said.

Elena didn't need to be asked to leave the room twice. She got up to follow Stefan, giving me one last worried glance as she left. I tried to nod at her and assure her it would be okay, but really, I didn't know if it would be. I closed my hand over Damon's.

"Damon?" I asked. "Why did you compel Caroline?"

"Trust me, you really don't want to get into this right now." He pulled me up from the desk. "Come on, let's go."

"_Damon._" I trailed behind him as he pulled me outside. "_Tell me._ I'm not letting you avoid this."

He hesitated. "I may have . . . fed on her a few times, when we were hanging out. And compelled her to bring me places. And forget all about it."

"Damon." I stopped walking. "You can't _do_ that."

"Trust me, I am paying for it right now." He said. "I know you want to talk about this but this really isn't the time."

"Is that why you're in such a rush to kill her?" I asked, my voice coming out a lot smaller than I wanted it to. "You don't want her to expose who you really are?"

"That is not who I am, Lucy. I am not that man anymore. And I will do whatever it takes to prove that to you but right now-" He stopped, and inhaled sharply. "Blood. I smell blood. Let's go, stay behind me."

Not giving me the chance to protest, he took off towards the back of the school where the stoners usually hung out. Sitting on the back of a flatbed truck was the unmistakable Caroline. There was a body next to her. As we got closer, I recognized the man that Damon had compelled earlier.

"Oh my god." I whispered to Damon. "Is he-"

"He's dead." Caroline answered with a sob. "I killed him."

I stepped in front of her and tried to stifle a gasp. Her entire face was covered in blood. _His_ blood. She couldn't stop crying.

"What's wrong with me?" She choked out.

"Hey. Hey it's okay." Damon put a hand on her shoulder. "I can help you."

Caroline looked at him. "You can?"

I reached for her hand and helped her down from the truck. "It's gonna be okay Caroline."

I pulled her into a hug, knowing that some of the blood was probably getting on my clothes. She was shaking so hard I was surprised she could even manage to stand. Then she pushed me back with so much force I would have fallen if Damon hadn't caught me.

"Don't." She yelled. "I can smell you. Your blood. Don't come near me."

"Caroline, it's okay. I trust you. You aren't going to hurt me." I said.

As I spoke, her eyes turned dark red, and the veins surrounding them started to stick out. I recognized that face. It was the same face Stefan had made right before he fed on me. She let out another yell, and Damon pulled me behind him right as she lunged towards me. I felt for my stake, but it was gone. Damon had it in his hand.

"Damon no!" I knew he wasn't just trying to stop her, he was going to kill her.

In a flash, the stake was knocked from his hand. Stefan and Elena had found us. Damon growled at Stefan, and Elena tried to approach Caroline.

"Get away from me!" Caroline screamed. "You killed me!"

"No, no, no, Caroline. That wasn't me." Elena insisted. "You know that. That was Katherine."

"No! Then why does she look like you?" Caroline's voice cracked. "And why? Why did she do this to me?"

Elena turned to Stefan. "Stefan we gotta get her inside."

"It's all right, Caroline. Come with me." Stefan spoke as if he were soothing a child.

"She will die. It's only a matter of time." Damon insisted.

"Yeah? Maybe so." Stefan said. "But it's not gonna happen tonight."

Damon nodded. "Oh yeah it is."

He dove for the stake again. Before I could even process what he was doing, Elena had jumped in front of Caroline. He stopped, inches from piercing Elena's skin.

"Damon. She's my friend." Elena glared at him, her voice shaking.

Damon finally backed away. "Whatever happens, it's on you."

I grabbed the stake away from Damon as soon as he got close enough to me. I still didn't trust him not to try and hurt Caroline again. She was terrified. She didn't deserve this.

"We gotta get her cleaned up." Elena said.

"Caroline?"

My head snapped towards the voice. Bonnie. Oh god. Bonnie was the last person who should know about this.

"It's okay, come on." Stefan pulled on Caroline's arm.

"No." Bonnie shook her head as she took in Caroline's appearance. "You're not. You can't be."

She stepped towards Caroline and grabbed her arm. I knew from her expression that she knew. Whatever she felt when she touched Damon and Stefan, whatever she didn't feel when she got near Tyler, she felt now. Caroline was a vampire.

"Bonnie?" Caroline said. "Oh god, Bonnie."

Bonnie shook her head, and stepped away from Caroline. That's when she caught sight of the body. She curled over the truck, crying. Elena pushed Caroline and Stefan towards the door and went to try and comfort Bonnie.

"I can't believe this is happening." Bonnie pulled away from Elena and paced back and forth next to the truck.

"Hate to be that guy, but we really don't have time to pout about this right now." Damon said. "We've got a body to bury."

"_Damon._" I hissed at him.

He didn't have time to answer. He collapsed to the ground, yelling and clutching his head, much like Stefan did when the Gilbert device went off. It took one look at Bonnie's intense stare for me to realize she was the one doing it.

"Bonnie stop." I said.

She ignored me. A hose on the side of the school turned on without anyone touching it, soaking the ground. I didn't know what she was doing, but it wasn't good.

Bonnie looked down at Damon. "I told you what would happen if anyone else got hurt."

"I didn't do this!" Damon managed to yell out.

"Bonnie, it wasn't his fault." Elena said.

"Everything that happens is his fault, Elena." Bonnie replied.

"Bonnie what are you doing?" Elena questioned her.

And then the entire ground was on fire. The hose wasn't water. It was gasoline. Damon still couldn't move. Fire was one of the few things that could actually kill a vampire. That couldn't happen.

"Bonnie!" I yelled.

I looked to Elena for help, but she was frozen, the realization of what Bonnie was trying to do dawning upon her. I grabbed Bonnie's shoulders snapping her out of the spell she was murmuring before she could actually hurt Damon. Immediately, the flames extinguished.

"Why did you stop me?" She shouted.

"This isn't his fault!" I yelled back at her. "Stop trying to blame him just to rid yourself of your own guilt. You told him to heal Caroline with his blood. Hell, Caroline wouldn't have even been hurt in the first place if Tyler hadn't been affected by the Gilbert device that _you said you despelled._"

"Lucy-" Elena put a hand on my shoulder.

"No." I snapped. "Get her away from me. This is as much her fault as it is his."

Elena put an arm around Bonnie and ushered her inside. I went to Damon's side and wrapped my arms around him. He leaned against me, and I took a few deep breaths, knowing he was alive.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, and he just nodded. "What was that spell? What did she do to you?"

"I don't know." He said. "It wasn't the first time she's done it. It just feels like my head is exploding, I can't even think straight."

I cupped his face in my hands. "Why is it that you're the one who's supposed to be immortal but this is the second time in one week I really thought I was going to lose you?"

"Aw, you were worried about me." He teased, and kissed me quickly.

I glared at him. "Don't think I'm not still mad at you."

"I know." He said. "And I promise we can talk about everything later. But right now, I really do need to take care of that body."

"Do you want me to-"

"Absolutely not." He shook his head. "Meet me at my house? Front door is unlocked."

I nodded. He kissed me one more time before helping me up, and I left him to clean up the latest mess that had been brought into our lives. I gathered my things and set off for the Salvatore house, equal parts angry, scared, and unsure of what came next.

Stefan still hadn't returned by the time I got there, not that I was expecting him to. The house was completely empty, and definitely seemed even creepier when I was the only one there. I locked the door behind me, hoping Damon kept a key on him.

I wasn't sure how long it took to get rid of a body, and that was definitely information I didn't want to know. Assuming it would be a while, I texted my parents to tell them I would be spending the night at Elena's. Then I helped myself to some of Damon's clothes, and took a shower. It seemed like I spent an awful lot of time cleaning blood off of myself.

When I got out, he still wasn't back, so I curled up in his bed and stared at the ceiling, pondering the day. I knew that he had been a bad guy. Everyone told me. _He _told me. It was so hard to ignore that when he slipped up and showed me that person. Feeding on Caroline? Trying to kill her? I couldn't wrap my head around it.

I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until I woke up to Damon shaking me. I felt my heart racing, and he looked concerned.

"You were having a nightmare." Damon said.

* * *

_Here I am_

_With my heart on the floor_

_And my love out the door_

_You should be knocking_

_But there it goes_

_I got nothing to show for_

_Except pictures I posed for_

_But I keep them in a box under my bed_

* * *

_**P.S. I don't want anyone to think I'm "Bonnie bashing", I love Bonnie it just wouldn't make sense for them to be friends right away since Bonnie hate Damon and Lucy 3's Damon. It's just going to take a little bit longer for them to click. **_


	24. Chapter 24 - Changes

**Hi guys! Sorry it's been a while, struggling with a bit of writers block at the moment. I hope you're all safe right now with all the craziness in the world. Hopefully this update brings a little smile to your face. If you have time I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts on the story so far. Thanks to Kimmy for proofreading! -XOXO, Eden.**

* * *

_Song: Changes _

_Artist: Stars _

_This time in between the day and the night_  
_The light kills my sense of life_  
_So scared, I'll turn it on, turn it on, turn it on_

_It's dull, this dusk, this desk, this dust_  
_My eyes adjust, I'll blow out the flame_  
_Can you and me remain_

"You were having a nightmare." Damon said.

"Oh." I sat up. "Sorry."

"What were you dreaming about?" He asked.

Fragments of my dream still stuck with me. Brandon was there, like always. So was Katherine; she had become a regular occurrence in my dreams since she had shown up. Caroline was a new addition; so was the man she had killed. I felt horrible for both of them.

"I don't remember." I lied.

"Today was a lot. I should've stayed with you; made sure you were okay." He said.

"It's fine." I shook my head. "Did you just get back?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"And the bo-"

"Everything's taken care of." He said. "Come on, go back to sleep. We can talk in the morning."

I let him pull me into his arms and drifted back into a much more peaceful sleep. Unfortunately, morning came sooner than I anticipated when Elena came in to wake us up, pulling open the curtains to reveal the barely pink sky.

"Rise and shine," She said. "We have things to do today."

"Yeah, things like school," I groaned. "Which I need a good night's sleep to do well in."

Elena shook her head. "Alaric is coming over. We are going to figure out what's going on with the Lockwood family."

"You're in a good mood." Damon said.

"Stefan brought me back to the carnival this morning so we could go on the ferris wheel together." Elena smiled.

I pulled the covers over my head. "You two are disgusting."

"Says the girl who was cuddling with Damon when I came in." Elena replied.

I let out another groan. "Get _out._"

"Get _up._" She replied. "Be downstairs in five or I'm sending in Stefan and he won't be as nice."

I somehow managed to resist the strong urge to throw a pillow at her as she left the room. Maybe it was a good thing that we were separated at birth; I don't know if I could have handled growing up with a morning person.

"That was nice?" Damon asked.

"Apparently she thought so." I said. "Nice would've been letting me sleep for another two hours."

"Mm," He kissed me. "Good morning."

"Morning." I grumbled, and kissed him again.

"So does that mean you're not mad at me?" He asked.

"Mad at you for feeding on Caroline when she was a human and trying to kill her when she turned into a vampire?" I replied. "Nice try."

He groaned as I pulled away from him. "That is _so_ not fair."

"_Not fair_ will be the wrath of Elena if we don't go downstairs." I said.

He followed me downstairs, where I helped myself to a cup of coffee and sat on the couch next to Alaric. I glared at Elena, who somehow looked as awake as I did disheveled.

"Elena mentioned you needed my help?" Ric asked.

"Yeah, we were hoping you could help shed some light on the Lockwood family." Stefan said.

Ric looked skeptical, "Now why would I know anything about the Lockwoods?"

"Well you wouldn't." Damon said. "But your dead-not-dead vampire wife might."

"Isobel's research," Elena explained. "From when you were at Duke together."

"You said that she had spent years researching this town." Stefan said.

"Isobel's research here in Mystic Falls was rooted in folklore and legend," Ric sighed, "At the time most of which I thought was fiction."

"Like that amazing vampire story." Damon interjected, earning a glare from me.

Elena ignored him, "Aside from vampires, what else?"

"The lycanthrope." Ric replied.

"The what?" I asked.

"Wait, like, werewolves?" Elena asked.

"No way." Damon shook his head. "Impossible. Way too Lon Chaney."

"Is it?" Stefan challenged him.

Damon glared back at Stefan. "I've been on this planet a hundred and sixty some odd years and never come across one. If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?"

"In Mystic Falls, obviously." I chimed in.

I may have only lived here for a short period of time, but if there was one thing I knew, it was that the name Mystic Falls was a little too on the nose. If a supernatural creature existed, it probably would find its way here eventually.

"Why do you suspect the Lockwoods?" Ric asked.

"Because vervain didn't affect the mayor on Founder's Day but the Gilbert device did." Damon replied. "And it affected his son, Tyler."

"And at the school carnival his Uncle Mason exhibited inhuman behavior when he fought one of the carnival workers." Stefan added.

"Not to mention he kicked your ass in arm wrestling." I said.

Elena glared at me but Stefan chuckled. "Yes, that as well. It suggested some sort of a supernatural entity."

"We were hoping Isobel's research could help us figure out what it is." Elena said.

Clearly she was referring to herself and Stefan, as I don't remember being involved in any sort of conversation about Isobel's research.

"Well, all of her things are still at Duke. I mean, her office is there." Ric said. "She's technically still missing."

"So can we get access to it?" Damon asked. "Ric, we need to know what we're dealing with. If this wolfman thing is true, I've seen enough movies to know it's not good. It means that Mason Lockwood is a real life Lon Chaney, and that little Tyler punk may just very well be Lon Chaney Jr. Which means Bela Lugosi, meaning me, is totally screwed."

"Let me just make a phone call, see what I can do." Ric said before stepping out of the room.

"So," I said. "Vampires . . . witches . . . werewolves . . . what's next, unicorns?"

"We don't know for certain that Tyler's a werewolf." Elena replied.

"Yet." Damon pointed out. "And given how this week is going so far, I'm not liking our odds."

"What's that supposed to mean, exactly?" Stefan asked him.

"Let's see, John Gilbert set off a device that could have killed both of us, Katherine decided to show her face after a century and a half of being god knows where, Mason and Tyler Lockwood are some unidentified supernatural creature, and now blondie is running around as a newbie vamp." Damon shot back. "Am I missing anything?"

"Right." Stefan nodded.

"Of course, I could easily take care of one of those problems if the rest of you would face reality and accept that Caroline as a vampire does nothing but add to our troubles." Damon said.

"I'll help her." Stefan spoke before Elena and I could protest.

"If you want to play Saint Stefan and babysit blondie, be my guest." Damon said. "Just don't make it my problem when you realize she can't handle it."

Stefan glared at him. "_I said_ I'll help her."

Truthfully, I didn't know much about being a vampire, but if there was anyone I trusted to handle any situation, it was Caroline. I'm pretty sure she could organize the Oscars with only twenty-four hours notice given the chance. Caroline Forbes was an unstoppable force when she had her mind set on something. I could only hope that Stefan's guidance would be enough.

"Alright," Ric walked back in. "Let's go."

"What, right now?" Elena asked. "Can we stop at home first?"

"Yeah, but let's make it quick." Ric nodded. "It's almost a three hour drive and who knows how long we'll be there."

"Hold up," I said, "Isn't it going to be just a little suspicious if _all_ of us don't show up to school today?"

"Oh, I think I can take care of that." Damon smirked. "I heard there's a nasty stomach flu going around. Spread like wildfire at the carnival last night."

"Right, I forgot you just compel away all of your problems." I said.

"I'm sorry, would you rather go to school while we go uncover the earth's secrets?" Damon asked.

"No." I sighed.

"Thought so." He said.

"Perfect." Ric clapped his hands together. "Damon will stop by the school, and we'll all meet at Elena's in half an hour, how does that sound?"

* * *

_Changes, I've never been good with change_  
_I hate it when it all stays the same_  
_Caught between the gold and the gain_

_Changes, I've never been good with change_  
_I hate it when it all stays the same_  
_Caught between the cold and the wave_  
_My heart beats up again_

Thirty five minutes later, we were all piled into Ric's car (sans-Stefan, who elected to spend the day with Caroline), and on our way to North Carolina. Ric seemed tense, and I couldn't say I blamed him. This research was probably the closest thing I'd ever get to getting to know what Isobel was like as a human, and I'm sure it wasn't going to be any easier for him to look at it.

"Everything went okay at the school, I take it?" Ric looked in the rearview mirror to ask Damon.

"Yep." Damon said. "I even made a few changes to your transcripts. You're both straight A students now, you must be so proud!"

I stared at him. "Tell me you didn't."

He smiled. "Oh, but it would be so like me to do that. Maybe I was _bored_ and _wanted entertainment._"

"Do not use my own words against me." I said.

"Am I missing something?" Ric asked. "I thought you two made up."

"They did." Elena sighed.

"Damon wants to kill Caroline." I said, at the same time.

Ric glanced at Damon. "Please don't kill my students."

"Why not?" Damon asked. "Less papers to grade."

"Less things Caroline can expose you for is more like it." I muttered.

Elena turned around to face us. "Do I need to separate you two?"

"Be my guest." I said.

"Oh please. Your lips are saying one thing now, but they were telling a very different story this morning." Damon winked and blew an air kiss at me.

Ric sighed. "Oh boy."

After three hours, one coffee stop, and a whole lot of driving through fields, we arrived at Duke. It was actually quite a beautiful campus, with gothic buildings that were probably older than Damon. Ric led us inside one of the buildings, explaining to us that Isobel worked for the Anthropology department.

"Excuse me, hi. I'm Alaric Saltzman." He introduced himself to a girl who was digging through a file cabinet. "I called earlier."

"Yes, of course. I'm Vanessa Monroe, research assistant, comparative folklore." She shook his hand and then looked at the three of us, eyes lingering on Damon. "Let me just grab Isobel's keys."

"I'm sorry, these are my friends Elena, Lucy, and Damon." Ric introduced us. "I hope this isn't too much of an imposition."

"Please. Isobel's office is right through there. Isobel was one of my first professors- I'm a grad student. She was brilliant. One of the reasons I went into folklore." Vanessa paused. "I have to ask . . . has there been any news?"

"No, no I'm afraid not." Ric answered. He was a good liar.

Vanessa nodded. "It's right this way."

We followed her into Isobel's office, which was a lot bigger and a lot less dusty than I expected. There were tons of bookshelves and objects all over the room; I had a feeling we were going to be here for a long time.

"I'll grab the light. Feel free to look around. It's fascinating, isn't it?" Vanessa said.

"Alright, what exactly are we looking for?" I asked, joining Elena by one of the bookshelves.

"Where'd she go?" Damon asked.

"She said she-"

Elena gasped, cutting me off. I turned and she was facing the doorway, where Vanessa was standing aiming a crossbow _at Elena_. I tried to step in front of her, and Damon sped across the room to shield both of us. He grunted as the arrow hit him, and fell to the ground.

"Damon!" I yelled.

Ric slammed Vanessa against the wall. "Alright, time to answer some questions."

I crouched by Damon's side as Ric dragged Vanessa out of the office. Thank god, he was still breathing. The arrow didn't get his heart.

"Damon are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, just pull it out, I can't reach it." He groaned.

I grimaced at the blood. "Elena you do it."

"Oh my god." She rolled her eyes, but pulled the arrow from Damon's back. I watched as the wound closed before my eyes, leaving nothing but a ripped, slightly bloody shirt behind.

I stood up, eyeing the door. "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know, you tell me." Damon said, standing next to me. "Do you often go jumping in front of things that could kill you?"

My eyes narrowed. "Says the guy who just jumped in front of something that could _kill him._"

"I'm a vampire." He shot back.

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, and last I checked a piece of wood to the heart can kill a vampire."

"Last _I_ checked a piece of wood to pretty much any major artery could kill a human." He replied.

"Well, then I guess it's a good thing she has bad aim." I said.

"_Guys._" Elena cut in. "Lucy, as much as I hate to say it, he's right. She could have just as easily hurt you as she could me. Why would you do that?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I just saw that she was aiming for you and I was scared. I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Sisterly love, how touching." Damon glared at me. "_Don't do it again._"

I just stared back at him. I wasn't going to lie to him, but I knew that if it came down to it, I would do it again. As much as he and Stefan fought, deep down he had to understand. It was instinct.

"Who the hell keeps a crossbow in their office anyways?" I finally said.

"I don't know, but that bitch is dead." Damon said.

"No, no, no." Elena and I both moved to stop him as he tried to walk towards the office door.

"I'm sorry, did she not just try to assassinate Elena, nearly taking Lucy out in the process? Or am I missing something?" Damon asked.

I crossed my arms. "You can't just go around killing people every time they inconvenience you."

"We don't even know why she did it." Elena said.

"Oh, so there _are _acceptable reasons for murder, just not when it comes to me." Damon commented.

Elena shrugged. "I'm just sa-"

"Wait, wait, shhh." Damon tapped his ear and motioned towards the door; he was listening in on Alaric and Vanessa's conversation. "She knows who we are."

"What?" Elena asked.

"Well, she knows who I am. She thinks you're Katherine." Damon said. "Someone's been studying up on Isobel's research."

"We have to clear this up." Elena said.

"Wait," I grabbed her arm. "Are you sure it's a good idea to go in there? What if she tries again?"

"You said it yourself; her aim was pretty bad. I think we'll be fine." Damon said.

I rolled my eyes, but followed Elena out of Isobel's office with Damon in tow. Vanessa was sitting at her desk, looking only slightly more subdued than when Ric had dragged her out of the room.

"I'm Elena Gilbert. Isobel's daughter and a descendent of Katherine Pierce." Elena re-introduced herself. "And this is Damon Salvatore, who you just shot."

"I'd be extra nice to me right now." Damon said, and I elbowed him.

Elena sighed. "Look, we need your help, okay? We need to see all of Isobel's research, anything related to Mystic Falls."

After a long pause, Vanessa finally nodded. "Okay. But I'm keeping an eye on you."

Damon flashed a sardonic smile. "Oh honey, the feeling is mutual."

Vanessa led us back into the office. "This shelf contains information about vampires, so naturally there's a bit about Mystic Falls in there. This box tracks Katherine's arrival to Mystic Falls in April of 1864."

Elena eyed the box that Vanessa set down in front of us. "Is that all there is about her?"

Vanessa nodded. "All that I'm aware of."

"Well, it's a box of information on our good old great-grandmother that we didn't have when we walked in here." I said, thumbing through the box.

"_Your_ great-grandmother?" Vanessa asked.

"We're twins." Elena explained. "Separated at birth, long story."

Vanessa eyed us. "So you're both descended from Katherine?"

"Apparently so." I said.

"Interesting." Vanessa mused.

"Why?" Elena asked. "Why is that interesting?"

"No reason." Vanessa replied. "Just another thing to add to the notes on Katherine."

"Speaking of . . . any luck?" Damon asked.

Elena shook her head. "There's nothing in here about Katherine that we didn't already know."

"Hey guys, check this out." Ric called us over.

"There's no record of werewolf mythology in Mystic Falls but here are some records of some of the lesser known legends. Everything from scandanavian skinwalkers to the Marechel de Retz." Vanessa pointed to the book Ric was looking through. "'Tonartsliitsii Metslii', which roughly translates into 'the curse of the sun and the moon'"

Ric nodded. "It's native American."

"Aztec." Vanessa said. "It explains one origin of the werewolf curse traced through Virginia. The short story: 600 years ago, the Aztecs were plagued by werewolves and vampires. They terrorized the countryside, made farming and hunting impossible until an Aztec shaman cursed them, making vampires slaves to the sun and werewolves servants of the moon. As a result, vampires could only prowl at night and werewolves could only turn on a full moon. When the full moon crests in the sky, who's ever unlucky enough to fall under the werewolf curse turns into a wolf."

"Can they control the transformation?" Damon asked.

"If it were a choice, it wouldn't be called a curse." Vanessa said. "Werewolves will attack humans but instinct and centuries of rivalry have hardwired them to hunt their prey of choice: vampires."

Damon perked up. "Well, if werewolves were hunting vampires, I would know about it."

"Not if there aren't that many werewolves left alive." Vanessa shook her head. "Hundreds of years ago, vampires hunted them almost to extinction."

"Why would they do that?" Elena asked.

Vanessa sighed."To protect themselves. Legend has it that a werewolf bite is fatal to vampires."

"Ooh." Damon said. "That's not good."

"Oh my god." Elena gasped. "I need to call Stefan."

"What?" I looked at her. "He's been living in Mystic Falls for how long without any issues? He'll be fine for another night."

"Lucy you don't understand," Elena said. "Tonight's a full moon."

"Elena wait!" I tried to follow her out of the building, but Damon grabbed me.

"She'll be fine. Let her talk to him alone." Damon murmured. "So, hypothetically speaking, if this werewolf bite _is_ fatal to vampires, is there any way to stop it?"

"Not that I know of." Vanessa said.

I reached for Damon's hand that was still resting on my shoulder and squeezed it; partially to reassure him and partially to reassure myself that he was still here.

"Well then," Damon cleared his throat. "Let's hope you're wrong."

"Find anything interesting over there?" Ric gestured towards the box Elena and I had half looked through, sensing the need for a change in topic.

I shrugged. "Just a run down on Katherine. Came to Mystic Falls in 1864, stayed at the Salvatore boarding house, wreaked havoc, et cetera."

"Yeah, don't need a run down on that." Damon said. "I lived it."

"Would you like to contribute your diary to the research box?" I teased.

Damon scoffed. "I don't keep a diary. That's Stefan's thing."

"Stefan keeps a diary?" I asked.

"He does." Elena answered behind me.

I turned to look at her. "Everything okay with him?"

"Yeah, he said he'll be careful." She nodded. "But I'll still feel a lot better once we're back, so let's get through the rest of this."

"Right." I agreed.

The box seemed to be filled with any fragment of information on Katherine that Isobel could find. There were journal entries and letters from townspeople that had even just a single sentence about her. I pulled out a very faded photo of her, and held it up next to Elena's face.

"That's never not going to be creepy." I shuddered, comparing the two of them.

"Tell me about it." Elena snatched the photo, and turned to Vanessa. "Hey, have you done any research on doppelgängers?"

Vanessa looked up. "Well, the word means a lot of different things to different cultures, but typically a doppelgänger is a living, breathing double of oneself."

"Did Isobel have anything that explained the link between me and Katherine?" Elena asked.

She shook her head. "That's all she had on Katherine, unfortunately, but I can tell you that doppelgängers usually torment the people they look like, trying to undo their lives. It's not exactly uplifting."

"Wow, imagine Katherine trying to undo Elena's life." I said. "That would be so unlike her."

Elena glared at me. "I just . . . I want to know why we look alike."

"Head scratcher, isn't it?" Damon said.

"Do you know something, or are you just being yourself?" Elena asked.

"Well, if I know anything, I'm not gonna tell you, not with that attitude." Damon smirked.

I crossed my arms. "_Damon._"

"Relax, I don't know anything." He said. "You two are so easy to mess with."

"Are not." Elena and I replied.

"No comment." Ric said, after exchanging a glance with Damon. "Look, if that's all that's in there, we should really get going. It's getting dark and I should get the kids back."

"Damon will be fine." I said. "If we're out past his bedtime he can always nap in the car."

"I was talking about the kids with families that will send out a search party if I don't return you at a reasonable hour." Ric said.

"Aka, _you two_." Damon said.

"Yeah, I'm ready to go." Elena put all the papers back in the box before pushing it towards Vanessa. "Thank you so much for all your help."

"Yeah, thanks for the help, _Vanessa_." Damon said. "Just so you know, if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will find you, and I will kill you in your sleep."

"_Damon!_" I yelled. "He's kidding. He can't even come into your house unless you invite him inside."

Damon smiled. "I can always compel her."

"No, you can't." Elena said. "I gave her vervain."

He recoiled. "What? When did you even have time to do that?"

"When you were too busy staring at Lucy to pay attention to anything else." Elena said.

"Ookay," Ric tossed Damon his car keys. "Why don't you guys head out to the car, I'll help Vanessa finish putting everything away."

I couldn't help but smile at Damon as we walked out of the building. As angry as I was with him about Caroline, it made me blush to hear that he was watching me as I went through Isobel's research.

"What? I wasn't staring at you." He mumbled when he caught my eye.

"Yes you were." Elena's voice rang out from a few feet in front of us.

I just laughed and slid my hand into his. Werewolves and research assistants with crossbows be damned, he was here. With me. I could handle anything else that came our way.

"Hold on a sec," Damon stopped and looked back at the building once we reached Ric's car. "I have something for you guys."

Elena eyed the large book he handed her. "Petrova? I saw this on a shelf."

"What?" I glared at him. "How did you even-"

"I have my ways." He smiled. "Katherine originally came from Europe. Petrova was her real name. Katerina Petrova, to be exact."

"So you _did_ know something." I said.

"How did you even know that?" Elena asked.

"Back when, I saw it engraved on an old heirloom." He shrugged. "Anyways, I figured you guys would want to hold on to it. Seeing as she's your family and all."

"You can't just steal from people." I said.

"If you want to go return it, be my guest." Damon gestured vaguely towards the Anthropology building. "Didn't think so. Besides, it's not like Isobel's going to miss it. You two can pour over it at one of your sleepovers or whatever it is you do."

"Thank you, Damon." Elena said. "That'll be great, won't it, Lucy?"

"Yeah, just not tonight." I said. "I don't think I can keep getting away with school night sleepovers."

"Then you should take it." Elena held the book out to me. "It's too dark to read in the car, so you can look at it when you get home and let me know what you find tomorrow."

"No, no, you should take it." I pushed it back towards her. "You're the one who looks like her, you deserve to know about her the most."

I looked up at Damon, waiting for him to agree with me. He nodded, and Elena sighed but wrapped her arms around the book tightly.

"Alright, let's get out of here." Damon unlocked the car. "Should I go check on Ric? See if Vanessa decided to break out the crossbow again?"

Elena laughed as she climbed into the car. "I think he can handle himself."

"True, I should probably stay here with the danger magnets." He said, nudging me.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't deny the statement. There was no shortage of danger in our lives, and with the possibility of werewolves inhabiting Mystic Falls, it didn't look like that was going to change anytime soon.

After a few more minutes, Ric finally came out to the car, looking as tired as I felt. I whispered to Elena to make sure that he didn't see the book before he got in and Damon handed him the keys.

"Took you long enough," Damon said. "I thought maybe Vanessa decided to use you as target practice."

"Careful Damon, for a moment there it almost sounded like you were worried about me." Ric said.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, worried that I'd have another body to take care of."

"Nope, just making sure that Vanessa sticks to her research and doesn't go any further. There's too many people involved as it is." Ric started the car. "Now, ready to get out of here?"

"Please." I yawned.

I leaned my head against the window and stared at the fields as we drove by until my late night and early morning finally caught up with me, and I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

* * *

_Once said, words make a world of their own_  
_I misread, I can't get you back on the phone_  
_So tired, I'll turn it off, turn it off, turn it off_

_How's that last week we were whole_  
_You're far away and I hardly know_  
_Can you and me delay_

"Lucy, wake up." Damon nudged me. "We're here."

"Hmm?" I yawned. "Where are my keys? Need to go home."

He handed my keys to me. "You're already home."

"What?" I looked around. Sure enough, I was sitting in the passenger seat of my car, in my driveway. "Oh."

"You must've been really tired." He chuckled. "You barely even moved when I picked you up."

"I was." I said. "Still am."

He smiled. "Go inside."

"Will you come to my room later?" I asked.

"Of course." He kissed my cheek. "Now go."

I glanced at my phone as I walked inside and saw that it was a little past ten. I was surprised to see that my mom was still awake, reading on the couch, when I came in.

"Hi honey," She looked up at me. "How'd studying go with Elena?"

I shrugged. "The usual."

As if I'd even had time to think about school in the past twenty-four hours. Maybe I _would_ need Damon to compel me better grades.

"Is everything alright?" She asked. "You look tired."

"Long day." I said. "I'd better go to bed."

"Try to keep it down; your father's already asleep." She said.

"Will do." I nodded. "Night, mom."

"Goodnight, honey." She smiled. "I'm glad I stayed up, I feel like I barely see you lately."

I felt a lurch of guilt in my stomach as I walked up the steps. She was right; I was barely home anymore. It was even worse that I was lying about my whereabouts half the time. If I wasn't telling my parents I was sleeping at Elena's when I was really at the Salvatore's, then I was telling them we had a study date when we were actually in another state. I'd have to make more of an effort to spend time with them in between digging into the supernatural secrets of Mystic Falls.

Damon was sitting on my bed when I got out of the bathroom. Part of me just wanted to crawl into his arms and go right back to sleep, but I knew I couldn't do that just yet.

"Any news on Caroline?" I asked.

"Right, you missed the run-down from Stefan." He said. "She did . . . fine."

"You hesitated." I sat next to him. "What happened? Is she okay?"

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill Caroline." He said. "I promise we will talk about that tomorrow. What was that earlier?"

"What was what?" I asked.

"You jumping in front of Elena when Vanessa was aiming at her." He said.

I sighed. "Didn't we already talk about this?"

"No, you dodged my questions about it earlier." He said. "What were you thinking?"

"I don't know. I wasn't thinking." I admitted. "I didn't have time to. I just saw that Elena was in danger and I can't . . . I can't lose her."

"I know." He wrapped an arm around me. "But I can't lose you."

"I just wanted to protect her." I whispered.

"Look at me." He grabbed my face. "You do not need to worry about protecting her, or anyone. I will protect her."

"Promise?" I asked.

He nodded. "I promise."

I leaned into him and kissed him, wrapping my hands around his neck. I inhaled sharply as I felt the comforting force of his lips, and caught the familiar smell of leather that always clung to him. At that moment, I just wanted to forget everything that was troubling us and melt into him. To my disappointment, he pulled away from me and kissed my forehead.

"As much as I would love to do this all night," He traced a finger down my face. "You've had a long couple of days. You should get some sleep."

"I slept in the car." I mumbled.

He let out a small laugh at my obvious disappointment. My eyes wandered to the window, where I could see the street illuminated by the glow of the moon. The full moon. I didn't want Damon going back out there.

"Will you stay?" I asked.

"Of course." He pulled me further onto the bed, and I nestled beneath the blankets and into his arms.

I looked at him and saw that his eyes were drooping as well. "Damon?"

"Mhmm?" He replied.

"What if a werewolf bite really is fatal to vampires?"

He sighed. "We don't even know if Isobel's research was correct."

"She was right about you." I said.

He squeezed me tighter. "If, and only if, we find out she was right about werewolves too, we will take every precaution necessary."

I knew that _every precaution necessary_ included killing Tyler and his uncle if they turned out to be a threat. Hopefully it didn't come to that. But I already knew after today that I was willing to do anything to protect the people I loved.

"I can't lose you either." I whispered.

* * *

_Changes, I've never been good with change_  
_I hate it when it all stays the same_  
_Caught between the gold and the gain_

_Changes, I've never been good with change_  
_Troubled when it all stays the same_  
_I'm caught between this cold and the wave_  
_My heart beats up again_

_Are you my trouble?_


	25. Chapter 25 - Breathe Again

**Hey guys! Hope you're doing well, got another long chapter for you. If you have time I love to read reviews. xoxo, Eden.**

* * *

_Song: Breathe Again _

_Artist: Sara Bareilles_

_Car is parked, bags are packed, but what kind of heart doesn't look back_  
_At the comfortable glow from the porch, the one I will still call yours?_  
_All those words came undone and now I'm not the only one_  
_Facing the ghosts that decide if the fire inside still burns_

_All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe_  
_Holds my love in his hands, still I'm searching for something_  
_Out of breath, I am left hoping someday I'll breathe again_  
_I'll breathe again_

Even though Stefan said that Caroline was adjusting well (other than the time she slipped up and fed on Matt) I was surprised to see that she was over her "stomach bug" and back in school on Friday. Caroline's presence seemed to put Bonnie on edge; her eyes were constantly darting between Caroline and any student who came within ten feet of her. She did make Caroline a daylight ring, though, so even though she had her doubts she was being supportive.

Things would have been tense even without the obvious rift between Caroline and Bonnie. Since there wasn't a human living at the Salvatore house, Katherine didn't need an invitation to come inside. She was coming and going as she pleased, and that didn't include much going, no matter how much Stefan and Damon threatened her to leave. Elena and I were pretty much forbidden from visiting them to lower the risk of an encounter with Katherine.

Then there was the werewolf problem. It wasn't even a potential problem anymore; Stefan informed us that he and Caroline had bumped into a rather large wolf in the woods while they were out hunting, a piece of information which he conveniently withheld from us until after the night was over. With one full moon behind us relatively werewolf incident free, we had time to figure out if the threat was real. But as each day went by with no new information, we got more and more nervous.

"I still don't get why Damon and Stefan told us to go here." I grumbled as I followed Elena into the school library.

"They told us." She sighed. "We just want to get an idea of what kind of guy Mason is."

"By looking at his high school yearbook? What, if he was on the debate team there's nothing to worry about but if he played football we're screwed?" I asked.

"I don't know, Lucy. But unless you've got another idea, this is as good of a place to start as any." She said.

"Do we even know what year he graduated?" I asked.

"No." She shook her head. "But he looks around twenty-five . . . so that would mean . . ."

"Two thousand two, give or take." I pulled the yearbook off of the shelf. "Bingo. Let's start here."

"Perfect. If they did things the same way we do now, seniors are near the front." Elena opened the book. "If he's not there we'll look in the 'L's' of the other classes as well."

"I can't believe they keep all of these here forever." I said, eyeing an unfortunate photo of a girl with braces mid blink. "I would sue if there was a photo of me with my eyes half open on display for all future generations of Mystic Falls High students to see."

"Lucy be serious." Elena grabbed the book. "Look, there he is. Mason Lockwood."

Sure enough, right in between Evelyn Larson and James McArthur was a smiling, eighteen year old version of Mason Lockwood. Looking at that photo, I realized that if Damon was just a normal twenty something he would be in this yearbook too. But he wasn't. He was raised in Mystic Falls in the 1800's. I wasn't even sure if he went to high school, or if there were photos of him from back then.

"Yep." I said. "That's him."

"Let's see what else we can find on him." Elena turned the page.

"Hold on." I pointed at the page she turned to. "Is that Jenna?"

Near the end of the class of 2002 was a picture of Jenna, looking a lot less frazzled and a lot more bright-eyed than I had ever seen her. I never really thought about how young she was to be shouldering the responsibility of two teenagers; it was only a few years ago that she was practically the same age as us.

"Huh. Yeah it is." Elena nodded. "I wonder if they knew each other."

"It's a pretty small school; they had to have at least been on a first name basis." I said.

"Maybe I can ask her about him," She suggested. "See if she knows what kind of guy he is."

I shrugged. "If you think you can do it without her getting suspicious."

Half an hour later the only additional information we acquired on Mason was that he was on the varsity football team, and that he won both homecoming and prom king that school year, but had a different date for each dance. It seemed like Elena's suggestion was our best option, so we put the yearbook back and headed out of the library.

"What were you two doing in there?"

"We were just . . ." Elena trailed off.

"Do you have a hall pass?" Alaric asked us.

"No." We said.

"Well, it looks like I have no choice but to give you two detention. My classroom, after school." He shook his head. "And on the same day I caught Stefan texting in class. What's gotten into you three?"

Elena and I smirked at each other. "Sorry, Mr. Saltzman."

The whole detention thing was Ric's idea. It was actually kind of genius. With Katherine having free roam of the Salvatore house, and our families in the dark about the supernatural world, we didn't really have a safe place to talk. So whenever we wanted to meet, Alaric would assign me, Stefan, and Elena an after school detention. So far, Katherine seemed to be sticking to her story of coming back for Stefan, and didn't make an effort to trail Damon.

It was probably overkill, but Ric was worried that three of his students hanging out in his classroom without an excuse would attract unwanted attention. It was a lot easier for Damon to sneak in unnoticed than for all four of us to have to sneak around. There were still a few students loitering in the hallway when Damon slipped into Ric's classroom about ten minutes after the final bell rang.

"This is your third detention in a week, Stefan." Damon feigned a frown. "I'm very disappointed in you, young man."

Stefan rolled his eyes when I snickered. "Very funny, Damon."

"Look, guys." Ric put on a stern voice that was very reminiscent of the one he used when teaching. "The days are ticking by until the next full moon, and I, for one, would like to know what I'm up against, and I would think you would as well."

"Did you two troublemakers dig up anything good today?" Damon asked.

"Not really." Elena admitted. "But we did find out that Jenna went to school with Mason, so I'm going to ask her about him."

"I can do you one better." Damon smiled and turned to Alaric. "Ric, you're going to talk your girlfriend into throwing a little get together to reconnect with her old high school pal."

"No, no way." Ric shook his head. "Jenna stays out of this."

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna bare my fangs at the dinner table." Damon said. "I just want to have a little chat, feel the guy out, and if things go well I can pull him aside for a little one-on-one chat."

"I'm with Ric, that's gonna be a problem." Elena said.

"And why is that Little Miss Buzzkill?" Damon asked.

"Jenna doesn't like you. She saw you and Katherine when, you know, and obviously I couldn't tell her it was Katherine." She explained. "She thinks you're trying to break me and Stefan up."

Damon put an arm around me. "Well I guess we'll just have to make this a multi-generational party and show her I've moved on. Jenna couldn't possibly object to your dear friend Lucy bringing her boyfriend along now could she?"

Elena sighed. "Fine. But then we're inviting Caroline. It affects her too; she deserves to know."

"Then why isn't she here?" Damon countered.

"We've been over this, Damon." Stefan's voice teemed with exasperation. "She's got enough on her plate adjusting to her new lifestyle, we don't want to burden her with any more stress until we know what's going on."

"But it won't be stressful because we won't actually be talking about anything in front of Jenna." I said. "It'll give Caroline a chance to feel normal again."

"It won't be stressful because it's not happening." Ric insisted.

"Why not?" Damon asked. "The weather's getting nicer, you and Jenna really need to make your public debut as a couple, and I, for one, would like to know what I'm up against; and I would think you would as well."

Ric glared at him. "We don't even know if they were actually friends."

"So find out." Damon said. "And then get some balloons and pull out the shot glasses, because we're having a party."

"You guys really aren't going to give me a choice on this, are you." Ric hung his head in resignation.

Damon smiled. "Glad we're all on the same page."

"You'd better be on your best behavior." Ric warned.

"He will be." Stefan said.

"See, these two will keep me in check." Damon nodded towards me and Stefan. "Now if we don't have anything else to discuss, Stefan and I have twins to escort home."

I groaned, but the corners of my mouth twinged upwards. "Isn't this getting a bit excessive? I mean, neither of us have even met Katherine."

"And we'd like to keep it that way, hence the bodyguards." Damon said.

"I wouldn't mind getting the chance to meet her. I am armed, you know." Though not as armed as I would like to be; Ric still hadn't upgraded me from my single stake.

"Katherine is a five hundred year old vampire. She's way stronger, faster, and smarter than any vampire you've ever dealt with." Stefan said.

Damon patted my shoulder. "That's Stefan's way of saying she'll snap your arm before you can even pull a stake out."

"Ok, but if I ever get the chance . . ."

"You won't." Stefan cut me off. "Neither of you will."

"I get it, you're curious about her. I am too. But it's best if we let Damon and Stefan handle Katherine." Elena said.

"I take it there wasn't much information in the ook-bay?" Damon asked.

"Book? What book?" Ric asked.

"No, not unless any of you can read Bulgarian." Elena answered, ignoring Ric.

"I still want to look at the pictures though." I said.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ric asked.

"Believe me, buddy. The less you know the better." Damon held out his arm to me. "Now, are you ready to get out of here?"

I looped my arm through his and waved goodbye to everybody before we walked down the now-empty hallway and out to the parking lot. Though the chill wasn't nearly as bad as it had been, the sun was gone, taking some of it's warmth with it and leaving a tinge of lilac in the deepening sky. When we arrived at my car, Damon reached into my coat pocket for my keys, but I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Can I drive?" I asked. "It'll make me feel like less of a child."

He looked back at me quizzically. "Is everything alright?"

After a moment, I sighed. "Did you go to high school?"

"That's it?" He scoffed. "You're worried about my credentials?"

"Did you?" I asked.

"Yes I went to high school." He replied. "Why?"

I shrugged. "I just want to know how much we have in common."

"Well I wasn't going to pep rallies or getting boozy with the cheerleading squad on the weekends, if that's what you're asking." He said.

"You never went back?" I asked.

He looked mildly disgusted. "Absolutely not, that's Stefan's thing. I prefer to learn about life by experiencing it rather than reading about it. Why does it matter?"

"Because you've experienced multiple lifetimes and I've barely experienced one." I replied.

"You're acting like this is new information. Last I checked we had the whole immortality conversation a while ago. Where is this coming from?" He asked.

I hesitated. "Well, when Elena and I were looking through the yearbooks, we saw that picture of Mason Lockwood, and I realized he's technically the same age as you . . ."

"Only he's not." Damon filled in. "Because I've been twenty-five years old for a hundred and fifty years. He's just twenty five."

I nodded. "Yeah, basically."

"So what? You're suddenly creeped out to be hanging out with such an old man?" He asked.

"No, I just don't understand it." I shook my head. "I mean you are a hundred and seventy something, give or take. Shouldn't you be into someone . . . older?"

"What, you think I should be going to singles night at the nursing home?" He laughed. "It doesn't work like that."

"Then how does it work?" I pried.

"Well, I don't know for sure, seeing as I can't go check out books on the biology of vampirism. But usually when humans reach a certain age, their brain starts to deteriorate, memory loss, that sort of thing." He said. "Seeing as that doesn't happen with vampires, I'd say it's safe to assume that the brain is like the rest of a vampire and doesn't really age."

"So . . ."

"So physically, my brain isn't really the equivalent of an a hundred and seventy year old human brain, if humans could live that long. It's a twenty five year old brain with a hundred and seventy years worth of memories." He explained.

"So you're saying your frontal lobe never fully developed?" I asked.

He smiled. "I'm saying my frontal lobe never fully developed."

"That explains a lot." I laughed.

"Oh yeah? And what does that explain, Miss Neuroscientist?" He leaned forward to whisper in my ear.

I squealed and pushed against his chest as he pinned me to the car. "You're impulsive, sometimes violent, and you prefer the company of teenagers."

"Hmm." He murmured. "Actually I prefer the company of no one. You just happen to be an exception."

"Oh come on." I said. "You're totally friends with Alaric and Elena. And you and Stefan barely fight anymore."

He gave me an incredulous look. "Barely fight? Last week he thought I compelled you into forgiving me."

"I'm just saying. You don't need to pretend like you don't care about them." I said.

"Ok fine, I care about them. Happy?" He kissed me. "But I care about you more."

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I'll accept that."

I brought my lips up to meet his again. Even though I had lost count of the number of times we kissed, tasting him always felt intoxicating. I wondered if his vampirism allowed him to hear the way my heartbeat quickened even from the most chaste of kisses. Now, with his hands digging into my hips and his lips pounding hungrily against mine, I was certain that my heart was so loud that even a human would be able to hear it.

Damon must have sensed my desperation to be closer to him as I grasped at his hair. He picked me up, holding me tightly to him. Effortless motions were so akin to his being. Every kiss that I had experienced before I kissed him had some awkwardness to it; noses bumping, hair accidentally pulled, and I had certainly never been swooped up into anyone else's arms. There was no going back from Damon Salvatore.

He slid his tongue along my bottom lip before nipping at it gently. I almost protested when he pulled his lips away from mine until I felt them crush against the edge of my jaw, and then along my neck.

"Damon." I whimpered.

"Fuck." He hissed, and lowered me to the ground.

I finally opened my eyes, expecting to be looking into his enticing blue ones, but instead saw that his eyes were completely bloodshot. Bringing my hand to his face, I traced my fingertips along the dark veins that were protruding from his angry stare. They faded away underneath my touch, and the color in his eyes slowly returned to normal.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Vampire thing." He replied.

I laughed. "Well yeah, I figured that part out. Why? Is it the whole neck thing?"

"Not exactly." He shook his head, averting his eyes from my questioning gaze. "Do you remember when I told you that vampires have much more intense emotions? And that they get confused with each other easily?"

"Vaguely." I said. "Why?"

He looked back at me. "Well that happens sometimes. Lust easily turns into . . ."

"Bloodlust." I finished.

"Yeah." He grimaced. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked.

He ran his hand over my hair, resting it on my shoulder. "I didn't mean to scare you."

I shook my head. "You didn't."

"It's okay. You have every right to be scared." He said. "That hasn't happened to me in a while."

"_You didn't scare me._" I repeated.

"Really?" He asked, and I replied with a nod. "I just figured because of the whole Stefan thing . . ."

I smiled up at him. "Last I checked, you're not Stefan."

"Thank god for that." He replied, kissing me one more time. "Now let's get you home."

Slipping his hand into my pocket, he grabbed my keys and smirked at me. I rolled my eyes, but let him open the passenger door for me and drive me home.

* * *

_Open up next to you and my secrets become your truth_  
_And the distance between that was sheltering me comes in full view_  
_Hang my head, break my heart built from all I have torn apart_  
_And my burden to bear is a love I can't carry anymore_

_All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe_  
_Holds my love in his hands, still I'm searching for something_  
_Out of breath, I am left hoping someday I'll breathe again_

When Saturday rolled around, Damon picked me up to take me to Elena's house for the barbecue that Ric had successfully talked Jenna into hosting. As it turned out, not only did Jenna know Mason but they had actually been friends in high school. Hopefully, reuniting with his old friend would get Mason comfortable enough to let his guard down so that we could figure out what his deal was.

With me gripping the bottle of wine that my mom had forced into my hands before I walked out the door, and Damon holding the pie he had picked up from the grill earlier, we could almost pass as a normal couple walking up to Elena's house. Almost. If you excluded the fact that we were only going to her house for a party that we had orchestrated as a ruse to get to know potential werewolf, Mason Lockwood.

Damon sensed my hesitation on Elena's doorstep. "What?"

"Can you just please promise me you'll be nice?" I requested.

He rolled his eyes. "Didn't we have this conversation already?"

"No, I'm serious Damon." I said. "If Isobel's research was right and a werewolf can kill you, you don't want to piss this guy off."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to take his bone away." Damon reached out to knock on the door. "I promise."

Elena answered the door almost immediately after he knocked. "Hey, come on in. You can put those in the kitchen."

I could hear laughter echoing from the kitchen. That was a good sign at least. Damon kept a hand on my back as we walked in to see Ric, Jenna, and Mason gathered around the counter holding shot glasses.

"Lucy!" Jenna practically yelled when she saw me, before her smile faltered. "And Damon. Great."

"Hi Jenna." I ignored her hostility towards Damon. "This is for you."

"Thank you." She said, taking the bottle from me.

"We were just doing shots. Let me give you a shot glass, buddy." Ric offered to Damon. "Sorry Lucy, I have to draw the line at giving my students alcohol."

Road trips to another state and secret meetings to discuss supernatural creatures are fine, but heaven forbid I have a drink. Not that I wanted one right now. I smirked. This had to be Ric putting on a responsible show for Jenna's sake.

"Here." Jenna downed her shot before slamming the glass on the counter next to Damon. "Use mine."

She stormed out of the room. Ric looked towards the living room and back to us a few times before following after her.

Damon smiled weakly. "She doesn't like me very much."

"We haven't met." Mason held out his hand. "Mason Lockwood."

"Oh sure. Damon Salvatore." Damon shook his hand.

"I know. I heard great things about you." Mason smiled.

"Really?" Damon asked. "That's weird. I'm a dick!"

"He's kidding." I glared at Damon.

"Right." Mason said. "And you're Lucy . . ?"

"Lucy Adams." I shook his hand. "I'm Elena's friend."

"Oh nice, so you must know Tyler too, then?" He asked.

"Yep." I nodded.

"Well let me know if the little punk is rude to you. I'll straighten him out." Mason said.

"Hey," Elena came into the kitchen. "Damon, when did you leave to come here?"

"I don't know, maybe forty five minutes ago?" Damon shrugged. "Why?"

"Was Stefan still at home?" Elena asked.

"Sure was." Damon said.

Elena frowned. "He's not here yet."

"He probably ran out of hair gel, had to run to the store." Damon said. "He'll be here. You know my baby bro, he loves to make an entrance."

She sighed. "I'm gonna go call him."

Elena definitely looked worried. It wasn't like Stefan to be late, and she was stressed enough as it is with Katherine constantly glued to Stefan. I debated following her as she ran back out of the room, but I didn't want to leave Damon alone with Mason. I liked Jenna; I didn't want them to destroy the kitchen if Damon started a fight. Besides, Stefan was probably just finding a way to shake Katherine before coming over. It wasn't like he could have gotten in a car accident or anything.

"So," Damon clapped his hands together. "What's this I heard about shots?"

"Right." Mason slid a glass towards me. "Don't worry, I won't tell Jenna if you don't. Not that she has any room to judge, she was no saint in high school."

I laughed but shook my head. "No thanks, someone's got to get this one home."

Mason poured Tequila for himself and Damon. "So you two are like together?"

"We sure are." Damon put an arm around me.

"Interesting." He eyed us.

"What's interesting?" Damon asked.

"Nothing, just trying to get a scope on things here." Mason replied. "It's been a while since I lived in Mystic Falls."

"Right." Damon nodded, still looking at Mason rather suspiciously. "Well, welcome back."

"Hey, I'll drink to that." Mason smiled.

They raised their glasses and brought them together with a soft clink before downing the contents. I leaned into Damon and let out a small sigh of relief. At least they were able to front that they got along, even if there was uncomfortable tension lurking below the surface.

"One more." Damon reached for the bottle. "I've gotta catch up to you guys."

"You'd better take his keys away now, Lucy." Mason warned as Damon poured two more shots.

Jenna cleared her throat, letting us know she had re-entered the room. "Could you boys go help Ric bring the food in from the grill?"

They looked at each other before nodding and draining their glasses once again. Keeping his arm around me, Damon turned to walk towards the back door, but Jenna stopped us.

"Actually Lucy, I could really use your help in here, if that's okay." She said.

I looked up at Damon, who smiled and let his arm drop from my shoulders. They could be alone for a few minutes; it wasn't like Damon was going to do anything to Mason with Ric there. Ric wouldn't let him. Not that Damon would try to do anything. He promised me he wouldn't, I had to trust that.

"Sure." I nodded. "What did you need help with?"

"Just getting out some silverware and plates for everyone." She replied, watching as the boys stepped out onto the back porch. "So, you and Damon, huh?"

"Yep." I didn't like where this was going. I reached into the cabinet to pull out some plates, double checking to make sure I had the right amount.

"When did that happen?" She asked.

I shrugged. "Not very long ago."

Truthfully, I wasn't sure when we officially happened. Did I count it from the first time he kissed me, knowing Katherine kissed him only an hour later? Or were we not official until after he snuck into my room to plead with me to forgive him? Not that we were officially anything. It wasn't like he showed up with a boombox and asked me to go steady with him. We just kind of were.

"I see." Jenna said. "Isn't he a little old for you?"

Yeah, about a hundred and fifty years too old. "Not really."

"Hm." She pondered. "Do your parents know about him?"

"They've met him." I avoided her gaze.

It wasn't that I was lying; they had met Damon. I just hadn't fully disclosed the nature of our relationship yet, more so because I wasn't sure what to disclose than anything else. My mom had made it painfully obvious that she was a fan of Damon. My dad, on the other hand, was a dad.

"Well be careful with him," She warned. "Make sure he has your best interests in mind."

Thankfully, I didn't have to come up with a response. The boys came back into the kitchen, each carrying a foil covered tray. Mason let out an energetic "whoop" as he set his tray down on the counter. Ric trailed a few feet behind them, shaking his head but clearly fighting back a smile.

"Would you go get Elena and Caroline?" Jenna asked me. "They're on the porch."

"No need, I'll do it." Ric offered.

"Alaric, look at you. Man of the house." Damon teased Ric as he walked out of the kitchen.

I grabbed a chip from the bowl that Jenna was putting out. "I think that role officially belongs to Jeremy."

She rolled her eyes. "It would, if he were ever here."

"Yeah where is he?" Mason asked.

"Probably in the same place that Stefan is, which is god knows where." Elena said behind me.

I turned around to look at her anxious expression. "He's still not here?"

She shook her head. "No, and he's not answering any of my calls."

"Oh Stef, I keep telling him landlines are a thing of the past but he just can't seem to get in the habit of charging his cell phone." Damon said.

"It's not dead; it keeps ringing before going to voicemail." Elena replied "Even if it were, that wouldn't explain why he's not here."

"You know, we've had a bit of a pest problem the past few days. Maybe the exterminator finally showed up." Damon suggested.

"One could only hope." I muttered.

"See, I told you there's no need to worry." Caroline forced a smile. "Let's eat!"

"We'll save him some food for when he gets here." Ric said.

Mason laughed. "Don't make promises you can't keep. You haven't seen how much I eat."

"Do you just _wolf_ everything down?" Damon asked.

"_Damon_." I warned under my breath. It was going to take a lot to get through the night.

Dinner went as smoothly as it could considering the party contained two vampires and a probably werewolf. Jenna was apparently a very sociable drunk, and Caroline was her usual chatty self, so the awkward silence never lingered for long every time that Damon decided to make another werewolf pun. Ric looked like he was bracing himself for Damon to lean across the table and start punching Mason at any moment, but puns aside, the two were actually getting on surprisingly well. At least they seemed to be.

Things didn't really start to get tense until after dinner, when Jenna suggested we play pictionary. That went fine until Damon implied that the cards were a bit too juvenile for the present company and presented the wonderful idea of going off book. Everything that Damon drew after that had to do with wolves; and Mason guessed correctly every time.

Elena rolled her eyes after a particularly awful sketch of a ballerina wolf, which somehow Mason understood was _Dances With Wolves_. "I'm gonna go get the pie. Will you come with me?"

I looked at Damon who was still holding a marker and grinning. I didn't exactly want to leave him to his own devices, but Elena was staring at me like she was trying to send me a telepathic message. Deciding that Damon could be Ric's problem for a moment, I got up and followed Elena to the kitchen.

"What's up?" I asked her.

She opened up the pie box and put the pie on a plate. "I think I'm going to go check on Stefan."

"What?" My voice came out louder than I intended. "You know we aren't supposed to go over there."

"Shh," Elena pointed back to the living room. "I know, but Stefan still hasn't called me back. What if Katherine did something?"

"That's exactly why you shouldn't go." I hissed.

"I have to make sure he's okay." She pleaded.

I huffed. "Fine. But you're not going alone."

"You can't come with me. Damon wouldn't let you." She shook her head. "Besides, someone has to stay here and make sure he doesn't start world war three."

"She's right about one of those things." Damon said, leaning against the doorway.

I jumped. "God, are you capable of not sneaking up on people?"

"Mhmm," He walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. "But this is so much more fun."

"What are you doing?" I squealed as he pinned my arms so tightly I could barely move. "Are you drunk?"

"Keeping you from leaving." He replied. "And maybe a little bit."

"_I'm_ not the one you need to keep from leaving." I glared at Elena.

"Stefan's fine." Damon said. "If you go over there you're probably just going to find him crying over spilled squirrel blood or something."

"If he was fine he'd be able to pick up his phone and tell me that himself." Elena shot back.

"There you guys are." Jenna came into the kitchen. "Did I hear my name?"

"Yes." Damon smiled. "We were just talking about what a wonderful hostess you are."

"Oh stop it." Jenna said, but her face flushed a little bit more. "That looks delicious. I can't wait to dig in."

Elena handed Jenna a cake knife as she leaned over the pie. Jenna seemed like she might be a little bit too inebriated to be handling sharp objects right now, but that was the least of our problems.

Damon walked over to Elena, eyeing the set she had just pulled the cake knife from. "These are fancy."

"Thanks." Jenna looked like she was stifling a giggle, but I wasn't sure what was funny about Damon's statement. "My mother's silver set."

Elena and I locked eyes with each other. If most of what was written about vampires wasn't true, then the likelihood that silver could harm a werewolf was pretty slim. But right now that myth was all we had to go off of, and Damon was well aware of that. I held my breath as I watched him pick up one of the knives before he hummed and put it back. Jenna, who was cutting the pie into slightly crooked pieces, remained oblivious to the silent encounter.

"That looks good, will you save me a piece?" Elena asked.

"You're not going to have some right now?" Jenna replied.

"I'm going to get Stefan. He just texted me that he's having car trouble." Elena lied.

"Okay, will you send the boys and Caroline in here for dessert?" Jenna requested.

Elena nodded. I opened my mouth to grumble in protest as she turned to leave, but Damon looked at me and shook his head. There was nothing that I could say to Elena without alerting Jenna to the fact that something was up. Mason and Alaric trailed in moments after Elena left, sans Caroline.

"Alright, let's have some pie." Mason said, taking a seat.

Damon set the pie in front of Mason, silver cake knife included. "Mason, why don't you start us off?"

"Sure." Mason replied.

Ignoring the knife, he grabbed a slice of pie with his bare hands and plopped in on his plate. Damon's brow furrowed at Mason's blatant refusal to touch silver. Even Alaric looked like he wasn't sure if he should be confused or disgusted.

Mason smirked. "I apologize, I'm an animal."

Ric cleared his throat. "So Mason, you and Jenna never dated?"

"Easy there, Ric." I mumbled.

Mason shook his head. "She was always lost in Logan Fell land."

"My first mistake." Jenna sat down with us. "Mason was a catch; he had girls lining up."

"Really?" Damon asked. "I always pegged you for a lone wolf."

"I'm sure I wasn't half the lady killer you were." Mason said, leaving a long, awkward silence. "How about a toast? To new friends."

Damon, Alaric, and Jenna raised their glasses with Mason. I was severely beginning to regret not taking that shot that Mason had offered me earlier. If Damon and Mason were going to keep taking subtle jabs at each other I would need something to calm my nerves.

My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out to see that Elena had texted me to tell me that Caroline was going with her to the Salvatore house. That made me feel marginally better. At least if Katherine was causing problems, Elena would have two vampires there on her side.

Despite that little bit of comfort, I still could barely even taste my pie as I ate it. I actually started to feel a bit nauseous from worrying about Elena and Damon. If a werewolf bite really was fatal to vampires, and Mason really was the wolf that Stefan saw in the woods, Damon wasn't doing a great job at getting on his good side.

"Alright, who's ready for another round of pictionary?" Jenna asked, setting her fork down.

"You guys can go ahead and get started, Damon and I can clean this up for you." I offered, gesturing at all the empty plates on the table.

"That's sweet but you really don't have to do that." Jenna protested.

"Please," I said. "It's the least we can do after all the work you did to host today."

"Well, if you insist." Jenna got up from her chair, and Mason and Alaric followed suit. "Thank you."

"So, what's up?" Damon followed me to the sink after the three of them retreated to the living room.

"Caroline went with Elena to your house." I said.

"I know." He smirked when I turned to give him a quizzical look. "What? I read over your shoulder. Not like I couldn't hear them anyways."

"You could hear them talking?" I asked, and he nodded. "How much of my conversation with Jenna did you hear earlier?"

"All of it." He replied.

"Right." I reverted my attention to scrubbing the plate I was holding.

"Don't you ever get tired of having to defend me to everyone?" Damon asked.

I contemplated his question for a moment. "Sometimes. Like when you don't help me talk my sister out of going to your house where her evil clone probably is, I wonder if maybe, just maybe, I should dump you and date a nice refined gentleman like Tyler Lockwood."

"Be serious." He grabbed the plate out of my hand to dry it.

"I am serious." I replied.

"Stefan is fine. Elena is fine. If they're not fine, they have America's Next Top Vampire as backup." He leaned over to kiss my cheek. "I promise."

"What if he's really not answering his phone because of Katherine?" I asked.

"She probably hid it somewhere as one of her little games." He said.

"And that doesn't concern you?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I'm starting to think that maybe she's not the threat that she wants us to think she is."

I looked at him. "Okay, so if that's the case then why can't I meet her?"

"In case I'm wrong and she's not bluffing." He countered.

"Oh, so it's okay if Elena's at risk but not me?" I challenged.

"That's not what I sa-" Damon stopped as soon as Mason walked into the kitchen.

"Jenna just brought out 'Guitar Hero.'" Mason informed us. "Might be time to mutiny."

"Well, I just happen to like 'Guitar Hero.'" Damon gave Mason a very menacing smile. "So you, my friend, are barking up the wrong tree."

"Okay. Enough with the innuendos." Mason said. "You win, you're hilarious."

"Thank you." Damon replied.

Mason shook his head. "Come on, man. You don't think I know what this barbecue is about?"

"Guys," I cut in. "Do we really need to do this here?"

"She _knows_?" Mason asked. "You brought a human into this?"

"_I_ didn't bring her into anything." Damon insisted. "That was all my brother. You know, the one you tried to snack on in the woods the other night."

"That was a mistake." Mason said. "I'm not your enemy, Damon."

"Really?" Damon sounded thoroughly not convinced.

"There was confusion; I couldn't chain myself up in time. I have no control once I shift." Mason explained.

Damon rolled his eyes. "What, no obedience school?"

"I'm serious. Let's not spark some age-old feud that doesn't apply to us." Mason said.

"You expect me to believe that you are in Mystic Falls planting peach trees?" Damon asked.

"I lost my brother, my nephew lost his father. I'm here for my family." Mason said. "Let's be above this."

"Is it true?" I asked.

"Is what true?" Mason replied.

"That a werewolf bite can kill a vampire?" I asked.

Mason sighed. "I've never seen it with my own eyes but . . . yes. As far as I know, that piece of lore is true."

"Right." I looked at the floor.

"Don't worry, like I said I normally chain myself up. I won't hurt Damon or any of your other friends." Mason said. "But you're right, we really shouldn't talk about this here. How about a drink at the grill later?"

"Sounds great." I answered before Damon had the chance to decline his offer.

"Awesome. I'll see you guys in the living room. Fingers crossed I can play 'Livin' on a Prayer'." Mason joked.

Damon stared at Mason's back as he walked back out of the kitchen. As soon as he was out of sight, Damon reached for the silver knife he had been eyeing earlier and started to slide it into his pocket.

"Damon don't you _dare_." I growled. "Put that back."

"What, you actually trust that guy?" Damon asked.

"I don't know yet." I admitted. "But you heard him, a werewolf bite can kill you.

"Exactly," Damon held up the knife. "That's why I should take him out before he has the chance to bite me."

"_You don't know if silver can actually kill a werewolf._" It was taking every ounce of my self control to keep my voice quiet. "He said he doesn't have a problem with you now; don't give him one."

"What, do you want me to be friends with the guy?" He retorted.

"You know what? Yeah, that would be fantastic." I shot back.

Damon grumbled, but set the knife back into the cutlery box. With a sigh of exasperation that was only partially feigned, I turned my attention back to washing the last plate left. I just wanted him to be safe. If he could stay on friendly terms with the one werewolf we had identified, that would go a long way towards preventing him from getting a fatal bite.

"Come on." He grabbed the plate from me. "Let's go _socialize._"

Socializing consisted of a lot more alcohol consumption and quite a few poor renditions of classic rock songs. The situation was actually quite comical. Before I moved to Mystic Falls, I never would have believed that I would ever watch with my twin sister's guardian and my history teacher sing Pat Benatar together after having a little bit too much to drink. To think that was actually one of the more normal things happening in my life right now.

"Lucy?" Jenna asked after flopping onto the couch and drinking the glass of water that Ric had graciously brought over to her. "Have you heard from Elena? I would've thought she'd be back by now."

My heart sunk. For just a moment, life had felt so simple that I forgot about my own sister who could potentially be in danger right now. I pulled my phone out and realized that I had a message from her. Damon shifted to look at my phone as I opened the text.

_Going to be a little while. Everything's fine. Don't wait up._

"Uh, yeah. She said she and Caroline decided to just hang out at Stefan's for a little bit." I lied.

"Hm. She could've told me that." Jenna grumbled. If only she knew the amount of things that Elena wasn't telling her.

"Well look, Jenna." Mason said. "This has been great, really, but we've been at your house for far too long. I think it's time we all get out of your hair."

"Oh please, you can stay as long as you like." Jenna tried to protest, but was very obviously fighting back the urge to yawn.

"No really, Damon and I were gonna grab a drink together anyways, weren't we Damon?" Mason asked.

"Yep. Me and my new buddy Mason, hitting the bar." Damon looked over to Ric. "You guys want to come?"

Ric shook his head. "I think we've about done ourselves in for the evening."

Jenna laughed. "I need to at least pretend to be fit to be a guardian and late night bar crawls do _not_ fit that facade. Do you need a ride home Lucy?"

"I'll drop her off on the way to the grill. Besides, neither of you two drunks should be operating a motor vehicle right now. I hope you're staying the night Alaric." Damon waggled his eyebrows at Ric.

Mason groaned. "That would be our cue. Damon, I'll see you there?"

"Can't wait." Damon said. "Jenna, you are a lovely hostess."

"And you are a terrible artist." Jenna countered.

"Is that the only thing that makes me terrible?" Damon asked.

Jenna looked between me and him. "I'm still deciding."

"Good enough for me." Damon slung his arm around my shoulder. "Alaric, enjoy your evening."

With a wave and a final thank you to Jenna, we were out the door. Our main objective for the evening was accomplished, and now it was just time to solidify that Mason really wasn't a threat. Damon unlocked his car and opened the passenger door for me.

"I thought I was your designated driver." I teased.

"That was when I had to pretend to have a human alcohol tolerance." Damon winked. "The jig is up. Now get in the car."

For a moment, I debated calling Elena on the drive to the grill, but Damon slid his hand into mine the moment he started the car and I decided to just stare out the window at the warm glow illuminated from the houses we passed while relishing in the feeling of his touch. If Elena said that everything was fine, then everything was fine and she could fill me in later. I deserved a quiet moment with my boyfriend before we delved into an inquiry with a werewolf.

Mason was somehow already sitting at the bar sipping a beer when we got to the grill. Driving recklessly must be a supernatural thing. That, or he just had the same level of impulsiveness as Tyler. I slid into the seat next to Mason, and motioned for Damon to sit on my opposite side. If this conversation went south, at least there would be a barrier between the two of them. A bartender I didn't recognize came over to us, and I silently thanked the universe that Matt wasn't working tonight.

"What can I get you?" He asked, looking at Damon.

"Whiskey, neat." Damon replied.

"I'll have a gin and tonic, please." I added, and Damon gave me an incredulous look. "What? The jig is up, remember?"

"Yeah, I'm going to need to see some I.D. from you." The bartender glowered at me expectantly.

"There's no need. She's with me." Damon locked eyes with him. "And do me a favor; if you overhear anything _strange_ while we're sitting here talking, I think it would be best if you just forgot about it right a way, understood?"

The bartender nodded and walked off with a slightly dazed expression on his face. I couldn't even be mad about the compulsion; it was rather needed this evening. Not so I could drink, but so we could talk without fear of our conversation being heard.

Mason chuckled. "That's a pretty neat party trick."

Damon leaned back in his chair, a lazy grin stretching across his face. "Vampirism has its perks."

"Don't let him fool you, it doesn't work on everyone." I said.

"Trust me, if I wanted to compel you I could have that necklace off in two seconds." Damon smirked, resting his arm on the back of my chair.

I feigned offense. "What? You don't want to compel me?"

"You're so much more fun when you're disagreeable." He replied.

The bartender came back, setting our drinks in front of us. "One whiskey neat, one gin and tonic."

Damon slid a twenty across the bar towards him. "Just keep 'em coming."

"What, couldn't have taken care of that without the money?" Mason eyed the bartender as he walked away.

"He could have, but he's working on not using humans as playthings." I answered.

"Doesn't seem like that's working out." Mason commented, noting Damon's arm draped behind me. "But you said your mind control thing doesn't work on her because of her . . . necklace? So what, the silver thing is a myth with werewolves but it repels vampires?"

"Oh, silver doesn't harm werewolves? That's so interesting." I sipped my drink nonchalantly.

Damon ignored me. "It has vervain in it. It's like the real life version of garlic. Lucky for me, it's pretty rare."

"Man, I mean we aren't too fond of wolfsbane but I can't control people even if they aren't wearing it." Mason said.

"I'm sure you have other tricks up your sleeve." Damon downed the rest of his whiskey. "You know . . . roll over . . . play dead, the usual."

"Not really." Mason shook his head. "I mean, sure, I'm definitely stronger than any human, and I heal a little bit faster, but nothing really that great."

"Really?" I questioned.

"It's called a curse for a reason." Mason said.

I pondered that for a moment, sipping my comfortingly bitter drink. Despite my glass only being half empty, the bartender approached with new drinks for each of us. Something about talking about the supernatural around unknowing humans didn't feel right to me, even if they were compelled to forget about it, so I waited for him to retreat before continuing the conversation.

"So is Tyler-" I began to ask.

"Tyler hasn't triggered the curse." Mason filled in. "And I'd like to keep it that way."

"And how does one trigger the werewolf curse?" Damon asked.

"That's not important." Mason said. "It's just important that it doesn't happen."

"So that's why you're here." Damon noted.

"Initially I just came back for the funeral." Mason replied. "But I decided I'd better stick around for a while; Tyler needs me. That kid he's just so . . . so angry. He's going to get himself into trouble."

Damon eyed him. "Vampire hunting really isn't a part of your planned activities while you're here?"

Mason shook his head. "I told you, I'm not your enemy Damon. I chain myself up during the full moon. I can't risk hurting you or anyone else. It's in my best interest to not piss you off."

"You seem to have given this a lot of thought." Damon commented.

"One day out of the month, I'm the predator. The rest of the month, I'm prey." Mason said.

"Don't tempt me." Damon joked. "I've never met such trusting prey."

Mason looked at me. "Something tells me Lucy here wouldn't take too kindly to you ripping my head off."

"No, I prefer to date murderers." I deadpanned.

"I like you, you know how to joke around." Mason said, glancing at Damon. "You guys make a good pair."

Damon smirked. "Well, I can finally sleep easy at night knowing I have the wolf's approval."

"I started sleeping easy after we got Elena's approval. She's way scarier than you." I slurped at my first drink a little bit before accepting that it was finally finished. "No offense."

"None taken." Mason held out his hand to Damon. "So what do you say, can we call an official truce?"

Damon shook his hand. "For now. If you chase after me or my brother on another full moon, we're going to have an issue."

"That's not gonna happen, so that works for me." Mason smiled. "So, Lucy. Tell me the truth about Tyler. What kind of trouble has he been getting into?"

Oh boy. After downing a very large sip from the full glass in front of me, I launched into the stories I had of Tyler's less than impeccable behavior. Damon was more than happy to exaggerate Tyler's drunkenness at the Founder's Ball, still clearly a bit miffed that Tyler had hit on me the first time he met me. In truth, I felt bad for Tyler, and had vowed to myself to cut him some slack. I was only telling Mason all of this because I truly believed that Mason cared for Tyler and wanted to help him through his behavioral outbursts.

It was nice to see that Damon and Mason actually could get along. As much as Damon would deny it, he and Alaric were friends, but having a supernatural other than Stefan in his life seemed like it would be good for him. Plus, at a hundred and seventy years old, it was high time he had more than one friend.

Relief coursed through my veins when Damon tapped my shoulder and motioned for me to turn around to see Stefan and Elena walking into the grill. Even though Elena had told me she was fine, it was still nice to see it for myself. I was nearly done with my third drink by then though, which might have had something to do with my elated feeling. I started to get up to walk over to them, but Damon put a hand on my arm to stop me.

"What? When did Caroline get here?" I asked, noticing Elena walking over to an unmistakable blonde head sitting alone.

"Don't know. But give them a minute." Damon tapped his ear, letting me know he was listening to them.

"You can hear them?" Mason asked, and Damon nodded.

I didn't need vampire hearing to know that the conversation was tense. Elena looked distressed. While she may be safe now, something had to have happened earlier. She walked over to sit with Stefan, and didn't look any happier to be talking with him. If anything, she looked even more upset.

"Are they fighting?" I asked Damon.

"They're pretending to." Damon replied.

"That doesn't look pretend." I got up when Elena did, brushing Damon's hand off to follow her to the door. "Elena!"

"Lucy?" She blinked. "What are you doing here?"

"Things were winding down at Jenna's, so we came here." I said.

"Have you been drinking?" She asked.

"Little bit." I admitted, feeling Damon's hand on my back steadying me a little bit.

"Great. That's just great." She glared at Damon. "You're supposed to keep her safe. You promised."

"She is safe." He pulled me closer to him. "She's with me. Nothing's going to happen to her."

"What's wrong?" I asked; even for Elena she was being a bit short with us. "Are you and Stefan fighting?"

"Hasn't anyone ever told you it's rude to eavesdrop?" She shot at Damon.

"Once or twice. Sometimes I can't help myself." He replied.

"_Damon._" I shook my head. "Why don't you sleep over at my house, Elena? You can tell me about whatever's going on with you two."

She crossed her arms. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Elena-"

"I just want to be alone." She turned and left the restaurant.

That stung a little bit. We were sisters. If she couldn't tell me something, who could she tell? I looked around to find Stefan or Caroline to ask for clarification from either of them, but they were both gone. Perks of being a vampire, I guess. It's easy to sneak out the back door when things get awkward. Damon kept his arm around me as we walked back to the bar.

"Well, whatever that was, I think it's my cue to call it a night." Mason said.

"Yeah, I think it's time we get out of here too." Damon nodded, throwing a wad of cash onto the bar. "That should cover it."

"Thanks, man. You'll let me get the next one, yeah?" Mason asked Damon.

"Can't wait." Damon grinned. Despite the sarcasm dripping from his voice, I think he actually meant it.

I leaned into Damon as he guided me to his car. The night had gone as well as it could have until Elena completely shut me out. Now I just wanted to close my eyes and go to sleep.

"Easy there." He opened the car door for me, and I got in.

I stayed silent in the car, partially because I was almost too tired to speak, and partially because I just didn't want to acknowledge that something was wrong with my sister that I couldn't fix. Seeing Elena hurt was awful, and not being able to help her was one of the worst things in the world. Damon kept one of his hands wrapped tightly around mine while he drove. That was one of the many great things about him; he could comfort me with the simplest of touches.

"Good, your parents are asleep." Damon noted my dark house as he pulled into the driveway. "I can walk you upstairs; not sure you'd make it to be without me."

"You still have to be quiet." I giggled. "My mom told me she stays awake until I get home. Usually. Actually I think that's only when I'm driving. I don't know. Better be quiet, just in case."

"Okay." He said, the corners of his mouth twinging upwards in an ever so Damon way.

He scooped my up out of the passenger seat and carried me to my bedroom. I protested a little bit, but didn't put too much effort into it. There was no point in resisting being in his arms when I enjoyed it so much.

After a very fumbled effort, I managed to change into my pajamas, brush my teeth, and haphazardly take my makeup off. When I emerged from the bathroom, Damon was perched on the edge of my bed.

"How are you doing, Lucy? Or should I say Lushy?" He teased.

"Mmph. Will you stay with me? I don't have as many nightmares when you're here." Shit. I did not mean to say that out loud.

Damon sat up a bit. "You're still having nightmares? You said those stopped, that the last time it was just-"

"Just because I was stressed about the whole Caroline killing someone thing." I filled in. "Yeah. I'm fine. I just like having you here."

He didn't look convinced. "I'll stay with you anytime you want. But talk to me Lucy, if something else is bothering you . . ."

"Nothing bothers me. Not while you're here." I leaned over to kiss him. "Now can we go to sleep?"

He sighed in resignation. "Okay."

My eyes drooped shut the moment I laid down, but sleep didn't come as quickly as I had hoped. I almost messed up. It was risky enough having Damon sleep next to me, but usually his presence did keep the nightmares at bay. Or at least they were less violent, if I did have them. The last thing I needed was for Damon to get suspicious, because if he figured out something was wrong, then Elena would find out, and I couldn't have her asking questions.

"Damon?" I whispered.

"Mhmm?"

"What did Elena mean when she said you promised to keep me safe?" I asked.

"She may have had a little talk with me to make sure I didn't hurt you." He mumbled.

I almost laughed but it came out as a few short breaths. "She did?"

"She did. And I assured her that I had every intention to protect you in every way." He kissed the side of my neck.

"You said she and Stefan were pretending to fight. Why would they do that?" I asked.

"I have no idea but I have a strong feeling it has to do with something that starts with 'Kath' and ends with 'rine.'" He said.

"Great." I groaned.

"She loves you, Lucy. But even though you're family, you haven't known each other very long. She might not want to talk to you about everything right away. Or maybe she just wanted to keep you out of it, for your own sake." He wrapped his arms tighter around me.

I just nodded. That much I could understand. Every secret I kept was as much to protect her as it was to protect me. She couldn't handle any more pain in her life. Neither of us could.

* * *

_All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe_  
_Holds my love in his hands, still I'm searching_  
_All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe_  
_Holds my love in his hands, and still I'm searching for something_  
_Out of breath, I am left hoping someday I'll breathe again_


	26. Chapter 26 - Punching in a Dream

**A/N: Thank you to KimmyWSmith for proofreading for me again. I hope you guys love this chapter it might be my favorite one I've written so far. Let me know your thoughts! XO, Eden.**

* * *

_Song: Punching in a Dream_

_Artist: The Naked and Famous_

_All the lights go down as I crawl into the spaces_  
_Fight, flight, or the screams, life tearing at the seams_

_Wait, I don't ever want to be here_  
_Like punching in a dream, breathing life into my nightmare_

"If I have to go, you have to go." Damon tugged at my arm. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"You don't have to go, you're _choosing_ to go." I held my ground at the bottom of the stairs. "And I am choosing to not believe that it will be fun."

"You chose to sign up to volunteer weeks ago." Damon pointed out.

"Yeah, that was back when Elena wasn't being all moody with me." I grumbled.

"I could always just pick you up and drag you out the door." Damon suggested.

"Mo-om!" I called out. "Damon's threatening me?"

"Is he now." Mom poked her head in from the kitchen. "If he's threatening you to go to the Historical Society Volunteer Day that you signed up for, I'm on his side. It's nice to see you doing community service."

I sighed. "I can't believe I'm being teamed up against in my own home."

Mom laughed. "You know I'd love to go with you, but your father and I have to finish packing."

Ah yes, the business trip. Dad had to go to New York City to interview some witnesses for a big case his firm was working on, and he offered to take mom with him. My request to join them was denied, as the trip coincided with the school week. I could have joined them for the weekend, but there was some masquerade thing that the Lockwood's were hosting, and I'd be damned if I missed the opportunity to wear a fancy dress for a date with my boyfriend.

"So do I have your permission to drag her out the door?" Damon asked.

"Permission granted." Mom replied.

I squealed in protest as he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. Aside from them teaming up against me, I really enjoyed that my mom was so fond of Damon. My dad really hadn't gotten the chance to get to know Damon yet, he had been so busy with the case this week that I had barely even seen him. That was probably for the best; if it took me a while to warm up to Damon, who knows how long it will take my dad.

"Chin up." Damon looked over at me while driving. "You get to see Elena and your best friend Stefan."

I sighed, rolling my eyes at his facetiousness. The past couple of days at school had been beyond awkward. Apparently if Stefan and Elena were fighting, that meant Stefan wasn't talking to me. Not that he talked much in the first place. But before this I actually thought we were becoming good friends.

All that would be fine, obviously I'm team Elena, except I still didn't know why they were fighting. Elena just asked me to drop it everytime I asked, Bonnie was as in the dark as I was, Caroline told me it was better if I asked Stefan or Elena, and Stefan always managed to dodge me before I could even get close enough to ask.

"Stefan really hasn't said anything to you?" I asked.

"What, in one of our late night hangouts?" Damon replied.

I laughed. "Right, I forgot your evenings were reserved for Mason Lockwood now."

"Mason Lockwood and _you._" Damon said.

I would almost be jealous of Mason if I weren't so happy that he and Damon were friends. True, it had only been a few days. But two out of the three nights since we all went to the bar together, they had met up again for drinks. As far as I knew, the grill hadn't been torn to pieces, so it seemed like they were still getting along well after their solo hangouts.

It honestly worked in my favor. After a particularly unsettling rendition of my usual nightmare where I swerved off the bridge to avoid a wolf, I had woken up sobbing in the early hours of Monday morning. If Damon had been there, I wouldn't have been able to explain that away easily. Or maybe if he had been there I wouldn't have had the nightmare at all.

"Looks like Stefan's moving in on your man." I commented as we got out of the car.

"Mason!" Damon called out, walking over to join Stefan and Mason. "Looks like you've finally met the other, less handsome, less interesting Salvatore brother."

"Very funny." Stefan replied.

"Normally I'd defend my best friend against such slanderous statements, but seeing as he's been avoiding me at school all week, I'm just going to say no comment." I said.

"Lucy, good to see you." Mason gave me a one armed hug, balancing a box with his other arm. "We've missed you the last couple of nights."

I shrugged. "I thought I would give you boys the chance to hang out without me. It's rude of me to keep embarrassing you, seeing as I can drink you both under the table."

Damon shook his head, hiding a smile. "So, what exactly are we doing here?"

"Oh you didn't hear Carol? 'Thanks to the generous donation of the Fell family. We are now standing on the site of our newest public park.'" Mason mimicked Carol's usual tone. "That's code for 'make this place look nice or else.'"

Damon chuckled. "Not a fan of the sister in law?"

"No. I love the Stepford Wives." Mason deadpanned. "Alright, I better bring this over. Can you guys grab the rest of the boxes?"

"Absolutely." Damon replied.

It took me all of ten seconds of standing there after Mason walked away to realize that Stefan was waiting for me to leave so he could talk to Damon, so I excused myself to go find Elena. I found her and Caroline painting one of the newly built pavilions. They were deep in conversation until Caroline spun around when she heard me approaching, and they immediately stopped talking.

"Lucy, hey!" Caroline attempted to mask the discomfort of their silence.

"Hi guys." I reached for a paintbrush. "How's it going?"

"Oh you know, just painting away." Caroline let out a strained laugh.

"Right." I nodded.

"So, I was just telling Elena that we should all go shopping after school tomorrow to get dresses for the masquerade." Caroline said lightly.

"Um, yeah, sure." I agreed.

"I was just going to wear something I already have." Elena said.

"Oh come on, Elena." Caroline whined. "Don't be a downer just because you and Stefan aren't going together. Me and Bonnie are both single, it'll be fun going just us girls. Sorry, Lucy."

"Fine, I'll go with you." Elena sighed, and looked away from both of us.

I followed her gaze and saw Stefan leaning over one of the workbenches. He must have felt her staring, because he looked up and stared back at her for a moment before averting his gaze.

"Uh, oh. Longing looks are being exchanged." Caroline said.

Elena put her paintbrush down. "I'm gonna go talk to him."

'No, Elena. I think it's a bad idea." Caroline protested.

Elena ignored her and marched over to Stefan. However, I didn't get the chance to watch their interaction as Damon came up to us, picked up the paintbrush that Elena neglected, and put a splotch of brown paint right on the center of my nose.

"Lucy, would you stop goofing around? We're supposed to be working here." He winked.

"I'm gonna get you back for that." I grumbled.

"Damon." Caroline huffed. "How nice to see you."

"Caroline." Damon faced her with a stiff smile. "Why are you being such a bitch to your mom?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it."

That must've been enough of Damon for one day, as she then moved on to paint another pillar a good fifteen feet away. She could definitely still hear us, but didn't have to participate in a conversation with him. While Damon watched her haughtily walk away, I took the opportunity to reach up and paint a section of his cheek.

"Bold move, tormenting someone about a hundred times stronger than you." He smirked down at me.

I narrowed my eyes playfully. "It's payback. Why were you talking to the sheriff?"

"Mason wants to claim his seat on the council, but she's not having it. He asked me to put in a good word." He explained.

"Oh? So he's planning on staying here?" I asked.

Damon shrugged. "I guess so."

"You guess so?" I glanced at him to try and read his expression. "I thought you guys were getting along."

"_We_ are." Damon replied. "Stefan's still wary of him, after the whole incident in the woods. We just have to get past the next full moon before declaring that it will all be smooth sailing."

"Nothing is ever smooth sailing in this town." I said.

"Speaking of," Damon nudged me. "I think your sister needs you. That fake fight got pretty heated."

I looked over to see Elena storming away from Stefan. Glad to see that went well. I set my paintbrush down and took off after her. Volunteer day didn't look like it was going to be very productive after all.

"Elena!" I stepped in front of her. "Talk to me. What is going on with you and Stefan?"

She crossed her arms. "I already told you, I don't want to talk about it."

"If you don't want to talk about Stefan then fine but stop giving me the cold shoulder." I said.

"_Not here._" She mouthed silently.

"You've been dodging me all week." I added, trying to subtly nod my head so she knew that I understood.

"I know, I just needed some time to think." She replied. "I think it's time for us to tell Jeremy."

"That we're sisters?" I asked.

She nodded. "I know we talked about it before, and then things got really crazy, and well, things are still crazy but I was just talking to him this morning and it felt so normal and I don't want to ruin that by keeping a secret from him for longer than I have to."

"Yeah, that makes sense." I said. "When?"

"Tonight?" Elena suggested. "You could come over after we're done here and we can tell Jenna and Jeremy at once?"

"Sure." I replied.

Hopefully my voice came off more confident than I felt. It wasn't like they would hate me. They already knew me and, as far as I could tell, liked me. Right now it was just this secret that existed only in our little circle that knew about the supernatural world. But after telling Jenna and Jeremy, it was only logical that we would tell my parents next.

"Okay." She nodded, before walking off.

I didn't bother to follow her; we weren't going to have any productive conversation while Elena knew we were being listened to by our vampire friends- or friend. When I turned to go back to painting, I saw that Damon had left and Caroline was now the only one within earshot. Knowing that she wasn't going to be much of a conversationalist either, I went looking for Damon and found him chatting with Mason at a picnic table.

"Glad to see you two are being productive." I slid into the seat next to Damon.

"We can't do too much work; people might start to get suspicious of our superhuman strength." Damon countered. "How's Elena?"

"A ball of sunshine." I said. "She wants to tell Jeremy about . . . you know."

"That you're twins?" Damon filled in.

"Shhh!" I jerked my head towards Mason, who was looking very unphased by this revelation.

Damon shrugged. "I already told him."

"_Damon._" I hissed.

"Don't worry, I can keep a secret." Mason chuckled. "It's kinda my thing."

"Right." I rolled my eyes. "Glad you two are bonding over my life story."

"Speaking of _bonding_, when are your parents going out of town again?" Damon winked.

I sunk my head into my hands, mortified at his implication. "Their flight is tomorrow morning."

"You should throw a party." Mason suggested.

"She would, but two of her three friends aren't getting along very well right now, so it would be a pretty awkward party." Damon said.

I sat back up to glare at him. "I have more than three friends."

"Let's see," Damon pondered. "Elena, Stefan, Caroline. Yep, that's three."

"Elena, Stefan, Caroline, _you_, Matt, Bonnie, Mason . . ." I trailed off.

Okay, so maybe my social circle in Mystic Falls wasn't quite as large as it used to be back in Lynchburg. But I've been a little too preoccupied to participate in many normal high school activities. I almost mentioned Tyler just to have an extra name on the list, but they would have both known that was a lie.

Damon shook his head. "Okay, first of all, I'm not your friend, I'm your boyfriend. Second, you and Bonnie are _no_t friends."

"We have had our differences, but we've reconciled them. In fact, we're going shopping together tomorrow." If Caroline's invitation was legitimate, and not just a way to distract me from whatever she and Elena were discussing.

"Are you now?" Damon raised an eyebrow. "Well I'll be sure to come over afterwards to make sure she hasn't incinerated you."

"You know, parties are a great way to gain popularity." Mason said.

"I'm going to tell Jenna that you're attempting to corrupt her niece." I glared at him. "Right after I tell her that I'm her niece."

The anticipation of telling Jenna and Jeremy that I was their family member made the rest of volunteering go shockingly fast. Plus, hanging out with Damon and Mason the entire time made the work much less of a drag. Though I did end up with quite a bit of paint on my clothes.

Before I knew it, Carol Lockwood was giving a speech thanking everyone for a day of hard work and reminding us of the upcoming masquerade ball this weekend. Elena told me to meet her at her house, and I was somewhat relieved to see that Jenna and Jeremy weren't back yet when I arrived, giving us the chance to regroup. I followed Elena up to her bedroom, where she pulled me into a tight hug the second she closed the door.

"I'm so sorry." She said.

I pulled away from the hug to look at her distressed face. "Elena, what's been going on?"

"Katherine threatened Stefan to break up with me. And I don't know why, but Caroline's spying on us for her so we have to pretend we're actually fighting. I'm not even supposed to tell you but I couldn't . . . I had to tell someone. I couldn't lie to you." She spilled out to me.

"Wait slow down, Caroline's working with Katherine?" I asked. "But Katherine's the one who turned her, why would she do that?"

"I don't know." Elena shook her head. "But when she came with me to see if Stefan was okay during the barbecue she kept trying to delay us and gave me this speech about how things were never going to work out between us. I knew something was up."

"That's so awful." I went to sit down on Elena's bed.

"She has to have a reason." Elena sighed. "It's Katherine we're talking about here. I'm sure she threatened someone that Caroline loves."

"I hate her." I said.

"She's horrible." Elena agreed, flopping down next to me on the bed. "She was there. At Stefan's."

"You met her?" I asked. "What was it like?"

"Creepy." Elena admitted. "You've seen her; she looks exactly like me. I don't get it."

"Clearly Stefan has a type." I tried to joke.

She groaned. "Our fighting is supposed to be fake, but at the same time I can't help but wonder if he loves me, or if he just loves that I look like Katherine but I'm not . . ."

"Evil." I nodded. "I know the circumstances are weird, but trust me Elena, that boy loves you. It actually kind of grosses me out sometimes."

Elena actually giggled a little bit at that. "God, why are our lives so complicated?"

"You tell me." I shrugged. "Is that the Petrova book?"

Her eyes followed mine to the book on her nightstand. "Oh yeah. I keep forgetting you haven't even looked at it yet."

She grabbed the book and handed it to me. I traced along the _Petrova_ on the cover before flipping it open. It was strange to look at the pages and know that they were full of my family history but to not be able to read a single word. Even so, just touching the pages and knowing that they connected me to five centuries ago felt so special.

"Not really much for us to go off of there." Elena reached over to turn to a page. "There is this, which is kind of neat."

"Wow." I whispered.

Tucked in the middle of the book was a loose sheet of parchment with two and a half faces on it. Katherine was unmistakable; the drawing must have been made not long before she turned. I could only assume the other two people pictured were her parents. The man had a rough face, but the same thick, dark hair that had been passed down through generations. The woman shared Katherine and Elena's large round eyes, but the page was torn cutting off a lot of her cheek and shoulder. I gingerly touched the severed edge, almost afraid that I would damage it further, but far too entranced to keep my hands away from it.

"Not many people can say they have a five hundred year old family photo album, huh?" Elena said.

"Elena?" The door slammed downstairs. "We're home."

"Shit." I looked at Elena. "It's Jenna. We don't even know what we're going to say."

Elena put her hand over mine. "Relax. She already loves you, it's going to be fine. Come on, let's go."

Taking a deep breath, I closed the book and followed Elena out of the room. I could hear my heart racing. She was right; Jenna had already shown that she cared about me. It was Jeremy I was more worried about than anything.

"You called for a family meeting?" Jenna asked as we walked down the stairs. "Oh, hi Lucy. I didn't know you were here."

"Um, yeah. It kinda involves her. Why don't we all sit?" Elena awkwardly motioned towards the living room.

"What's going on?" Jenna took a seat on the couch. "Lucy, are you pregnant?"

"What? No. _God_ no. Damon and I haven't even-" I paused, looking at Jeremy's mortified expression. "Nevermind. No. Definitely not pregnant."

"Oh my god." Elena rubbed her forehead. "_Why_ would you even ask that?"

"I don't know." Jenna shrugged meekly. "I just imagine if I were a teenage girl in that situation I'd seek help from another adult before telling my parents."

"Why exactly am I here?" Jeremy very much sounded like he would like to be excused from the conversation.

"Because this involves you. It involves our whole family." Elena said.

"_What_ involves our whole family?" Jenna asked. "Elena you're not making any sense."

Elena took a deep breath. "Okay, Jenna, you obviously know I was adopted. Jeremy, I told you after I found out."

"Yeah, and?" Jeremy replied.

"So there was no father recorded on my birth certificate. But I found out recently who my birth father is." Elena closed her eyes for a moment. "John Gilbert."

"What?" Jeremy exclaimed. "John Gilbert? As in _Uncle_ John?"

"Oh my god, I need a glass of wine." Jenna groaned.

"Wait, wait. That's not all." Elena said. "Lucy?"

"I was adopted too. My parents told me when I was sixteen. The whole thing was handled by my birth father." I reached out for Elena and she squeezed my hand. "What I didn't know was that he separated me from my twin at birth. John Gilbert is my father. Elena and I are twins."

The silence in the room made my ears ring. For a moment, I thought Jeremy was actually going to laugh. All of the color had left Jenna's face. She was sitting so still that I wasn't even sure if she was breathing.

"Are you serious?" Jenna's voice was barely audible. "This isn't some kind of joke?"

"Of course they're being serious." Jeremy cut in. "Look at them. Is it really that hard to believe?"

"Trust me, my jokes are much better than this." I said.

"And he really separated you. That bastard." Jenna shook her head. "How long have you known?"

"Not long." Elena answered. "We found out kind of around Founder's Day."

Jenna abruptly got up from the couch that she and Jeremy were sitting on. I thought she was going to go pour that aforementioned glass of wine, but instead she came over to me and Elena and pulled me into a hug. The light vanilla scent of her perfume engulfed me as I sunk into her arms, staying in the soft hug until she pulled away.

"That's it?" I asked. "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" Jenna lightly touched the side of my face. "Lord knows this family could use another member."

"Yeah, as long as you're not a narc like Elena I'm cool with having you as a sister." Jeremy said.

Elena threw a pillow at him. "Someone has to look out for you."

"Sounds like you've got two someone's looking out for you now." Jenna smiled at Jeremy. "Lucy, do you need to be home? You should stay for dinner."

I nodded. "Um, yeah. I mean, no. I can stay. Let me just text my parents."

Dinner was a lot less awkward than I anticipated. It really felt like just another normal night hanging out with Elena and her family, only now they were _our_ family. Well, they always were our family, but now they knew it. Thankfully, Jenna never brought up Damon. While I certainly wasn't going to bring up the issue myself, I wondered if perhaps Mason taking a liking to Damon was helping Jenna warm up to him as well.

Jeremy remained pretty quiet, but that wasn't unusual for him. Still, Elena and I were worried that he might be angry with us for not telling him sooner, so we went to his room to go chat with him before I left.

He cracked open his bedroom door after we knocked on it. "What's up?"

"Can we come in?" Elena asked, following into the room after he nodded. "Are you sure you're okay with all of this?"

"Do I have a choice?" Jeremy retorted.

"It's just a lot to take in, we wanted to make sure you were okay." Elena replied.

Jeremy laughed. "You more than anyone should know that finding out I have another sister doesn't even make it into the top five strangest things that have happened to me in the past month. Trust me, I'm fine."

"Good." Elena smiled. "So listen, we were going to hang out a Lucy's tomorrow,"

"We were?" I asked.

Elena shot me a knowing look. "Yes, remember you invited me, Stefan, and Damon to come over after you and I are done shopping tomorrow since your parents won't be home."

"Right." I nodded, making a mental note to inform Damon that our date night was getting crashed.

"Anyways, Jer, you should come." Elena suggested. "It would give you and Lucy the chance to get to know each other better, plus you've never really hung out with Stefan either."

"Yeah, sure. Sounds good." Jeremy said.

"Great. Oh, and can you do me a favor?" Elena asked.

"What?" Jeremy looked a bit wary.

"Stefan and I are pretending to be fighting right now because of Katherine." Elena explained. "So can you just like, not mention to anyone that we're actually fine? You never know who might be listening."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Yep, because all I do is sit around talking about your love life."

"Okay, Jer. Goodnight." Elena shook her head.

"I'm heading out, so bye." I said.

"Right, see you tomorrow." He gave a little wave.

"So does this mean you're going to tell Damon the truth about what's going on with you and Stefan?" I whispered, closing Jeremy's door behind us as we stepped into the hallway.

Elena shrugged. "He already knows we aren't actually fighting anyways."

I just smiled. Damon could pretend that he and Stefan were rivals all he wanted, but he could read Stefan like a book. Even I hadn't been fully convinced that the fighting was fake after Damon told me. I bade Jenna farewell, and Elena walked me out to my car where she gave me another hug.

"Thank you for today." She said. "I love you."

I squeezed her back. "I love you too."

* * *

_If it falls apart I will surely wake it_  
_Bright lights turn me green, this is worse than it seems_

_Wait, I don't ever want to be here_

_Like punching in a dream, breathing life into my nightmare_

I mentally grumbled at my parents for leaving all the lights off when they left as I carried my shopping bag into my dark house. Caroline had managed to talk me into getting a red dress with intricate black beading along the bodice. It was a lot flashier than anything I would normally wear, but the fact that I would be wearing a mask made me feel a lot more bold. Plus, it was my and Damon's first Mystic Falls event as a real couple. We had to make an entrance.

I flipped on the kitchen light and immediately jumped back at what I saw. Damon was nonchalantly sitting on the counter. He appeared to be rather entertained by my frightened reaction.

"Boo." He said.

"Damon." I huffed, dropping my bag. "What are you doing? How did you even get in here?"

"I have my ways." He smirked. "Forgive me, I just wanted a moment alone before the masses arrive."

I shook my head but didn't have time to form a rebuttal before he jumped off the counter and flashed over to me. The moment I looked up at him my upturned lips met his. My heart rate still hadn't lowered from him surprising me, and this certainly wasn't going to do anything to help the matter.

"Such a shame." He tsked, pulling away from me. "You have this whole house to yourself and we can't even enjoy it."

"Don't blame me, blame Elena." I poked his cheek. "It was her idea."

"Trust me, I will be getting her and Stefan back for this one." He winked.

I crinkled my nose at the thought of Damon interfering with Stefan and Elena's romantic life. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"I can guarantee it will be fun." Damon wiggled his eyebrows, pulling out a bottle of bourbon he evidently had stashed in the cabinet.

"Oh my god, Elena's going to kill you." I giggled.

"Elena should take a page out of your book and have some fun once in a while." Damon pulled me in for one more kiss, but tore away when the doorbell rang. "Speak of the devil."

"Hey guys." I opened the front door to greet Stefan, Elena, and Jeremy, stepping aside to let them in.

"Uh, Lucy?" Stefan cleared his throat, still standing on the porch.

"Mm, that sucks, buddy. Should have considered this scenario before keeping me out of the loop all week." I said. "Hopefully you can hear the TV from out here."

"_Lucy._" Elena warned.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding." I snickered. "Stefan Salvatore, the dearest of my two friends, my future brother in law, the moral beacon for all of us, would you like to come inside?"

Stefan shook his head and smiled, crossing the threshold into my house. "So Elena mentioned something called Maria Cart?"

"Mario Kart." I corrected him. "And I'm going to kick your ass at it."

"Yeah right. You're only going to kick his ass because he doesn't even know what it is." Jeremy said.

"Jeremy Gilbert, are you implying that I have an unfair advantage?" I feigned offense. "If anything, Stefan and Damon have the advantage seeing as they were around when the car was invented. They must be driving experts by now."

Damon sauntered over, taking a swig out of the bottle he had brought. "You're forgetting that only one of us has failed to adapt to the modern world. I will annihilate every last one of you."

"You brought bourbon?" Elena questioned him.

"Is that a problem?" Damon countered.

Elena held out her hand. "Only if you're not sharing."

After a moment's pause to make sure he really heard her correctly, Damon passed the bottle to her and she took a deep drink before handing it to me. Really, I had to commend her for her ability to keep a straight face, because that stuff burned. I know bourbon is supposed to be an acquired taste, but I'm not sure if that's a taste I could acquire even if I lived for a century and a half.

Elena looked like she was going to stop me when I handed the bottle to Jeremy, but I caught her eye and shook my head. She forced a smile that turned a little more genuine when Stefan rubbed her shoulder. Once Stefan took a swig, I decided to get us some glasses so we could drink like civilized people.

Stefan, despite not quite possessing his brother's ability to assimilate into the twenty first century, quickly managed to not only grasp but excel at Mario Kart. I was right; the vampires _did_ have an unfair advantage. Stefan and Damon had reflexes that surpassed mine on even my most alert days at least ten fold.

Elena and I quickly decided to team up to make up for there only being four controllers, and to give us a fighting chance. Between the two of us, we could at least decide who would be better on each track. This soon turned into Jeremy convincing Stefan to try the hardest tracks so that he could watch Elena and I fight over who had to do it.

"No way. I _refuse_ to accept that you've never played this before!" I yelled after Stefan managed to complete Rainbow Road without falling off once.

"I thought you said you were going to kick our asses?" Jeremy reminded me.

"Yeah, well . . . usually I don't drink and drive." I grumbled, holding up my glass before taking another sip.

"New rule: everytime Lucy or Elena falls off the track, everybody has to take a drink." Jeremy suggested.

"We're all gonna die." Elena giggled.

Damon shrugged. "I'm already dead."

"Dead to me." I leaned against him and crossed my arms. "I'm pretty sure you're supposed to let your girlfriend win."

Damon laughed. "Lucy, I'd have to put the controller down to even give you a chance."

I shook my head. "That's just disrespectful."

"Come on guys." Stefan said. "I have to do all of these at least once. What good is living for a hundred and sixty years if I haven't experienced every single Mario Kart track."

"Did he just make a joke?" I whispered to Damon.

"He did, and he can also hear you." Damon whispered back.

I turned to see Stefan looking at me with a rather amused expression. Listen, it's not my fault that Stefan has a more muted sense of humor. Like, really muted. So muted it's barely there. But hey, not everyone can possess my level of comedic genius.

"Elena give me the controller!" I sat up with a jolt.

"Okay?" Elena handed it to me, confused by my burst of energy.

"I like this one." I explained sheepishly. "The bouncy mushrooms are fun."

"The bouncing _what_?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, so _now_ your vampire hearing has flaws." I mumbled. "You'll see."

"And drink." Jeremy commanded when my car bounced off of the first mushroom and immediately fell into the abyss.

It really wasn't a fair drinking game that Jeremy developed. Each drink only made me more prone to falling off of the track, and it just became a vicious struggle of trying to maintain control of a virtual vehicle. Alas, Stefan and Damon bested me once again. By about ten places.

"I thought you said you liked this one." Damon commented.

"I do!" I insisted.

"Do you finish last on all your favorite tracks?" He questioned.

"For real. I've met two year olds with better hand eye coordination." Jeremy teased.

I glared at him. "Jeremy, if you keep disrespecting me in my own home, I'm going to have to rescind your invitation."

Elena rolled her eyes. "He's not a vampire, Lucy. He doesn't need to be invited in."

"And even if he were, our invitations are non-rescindable." Damon reminded me.

"Yeah Lucy. I know you've never had a little brother before, so you don't know how this works, but I'm _supposed_ to be mean to you." Jeremy said.

I dropped the controller, and tried to pass it off as a fumble caused by my slight intoxication. It wasn't his fault; there was no way he could have known. Still, that stung more than a little bit. Elena sighed, looking at Jeremy with disappointment.

"What?" Jeremy snapped at her. "What'd I do now?"

"Jeremy, Lucy ha-"

"Elena _don't._" I cut her off.

"What?" Elena turned to me. "You don't want him to- Jeremy's family, Lucy."

In an attempt to avoid eye contact with every other person in the room, I diverted all of my attention to chewing on the inside of my lip. I could still feel Elena's staring at me, searching for some intimation as to what I was thinking. Damon was motionless beside me. I didn't need to look at him to know that his eyes were boring into the back of my head, desperately waiting for some explanation. Cautiously, I looked up at Elena to see her shift her gaze from me to Damon.

"Oh my god." Elena's face instantly filled with regret. "You haven't told him. Lucy, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to . . ."

"Told me what?" Damon asked.

"Nothing." My voice barely came out louder than a whisper.

"Obviously it's not nothing. What's going on?" He pressed.

Jeremy stood up. "I should go."

"No, Jeremy. You don't have to." I protested.

"I'll drive you home." Stefan offered.

I stared at Elena, mentally willing her not to get up and follow them. If she left, I would have no choice but to face the conversation that I so desperately wanted to avoid. She remained seated next to me while Jeremy awkwardly shuffled out with Stefan in tow, but apparently was not willing to aid me any further than that.

"I'll be outside." She said. "You guys need to talk."

I stood up, my eyes stinging. "I'm going upstairs."

Averting my eyes away from Damon, I left him behind me on the couch to walk over to the stairs. Praying to whatever god was out there that he would just let me alone to process my emotions, I felt the tears escape from my eyes leaving icy trails along my cheeks.

"Told me what?" Damon called out when I reached the first step.

I turned. He was standing right there, not even two feet away from me. If I could make out the cracks in his leather jacket, he could surely see the red veins that became prominent in my eyes every time I cried. His eyes, his beautiful eyes, were absolutely piercing into me. This was it. This was the exact thing that I never wanted to happen. This was the bubble bursting.

"I had a brother." I choked out.

"Oh baby," His face melted into an expression of distress. "I know."

He reached out to me, and the moment his hand touched my arm I collapsed into him. I just wanted to find comfort in his touch. The way his hands were gripping me would usually have me so firmly centered that gravity itself couldn't sway me. But right now even his firm grasp couldn't stop the feeling that the universe was shifting uncontrollably around me.

"How?" I whispered into his neck. "How could you know?"

Damon lifted my head, forcing me to look at him. He traced his thumbs underneath my eyes, wiping away a fragment of my tears before bringing his hands to the back of my head. I thought he was just going to pull me back against him. But then I no longer felt his touch on my skin, and he held my necklace up in front of me.

"What?" My voice cracked.

"Look at me." He commanded, caressing my face. "Do you remember the day you invited me into your home?"

I nodded. "You came to get your jacket from me."

"We sat on your bed. We talked. I told you to forget it." He spoke low and clear. "I need you to remember that now."

I blinked. All we had talked about was Caroline and Matt's pseudo fight from the previous night. Only . . . no. I pinched my eyes together, straining to remember a single word from that conversation. It made my head hurt. There was so much pressure inside my brain that I thought I might pass out. But I couldn't remember. The conversation wasn't there anymore. Only Damon was there.

_He held the necklace by the delicate chain as he examined the flowers etched on the surface. Not sure what to say to fill the silence, I turned my attention to his ring. It was a signet ring, with a large blue stone that had some sort of family crest in the center. I twisted it back and forth; I had never seen something like it before. He closed his hand over mine, and I looked up to see his head tilted, a curious expression on his face._

_"Tell me the truth Lucy." His eyes darkened as he spoke to me. They entranced me, icy and mysterious. "What do you really think of me?"_

_"You're the most attractive man I've ever met in my life. But you're so mysterious. I know almost nothing about you, and that scares me." I admitted._

_The words came out before I could stop them. It wasn't what I wanted to say. I wanted to say, _You're Stefan's older brother and Elena seems to be wary of you and I'm still trying to figure out why. _But the truth came out instead. Damon smirked at my response, and I felt my face flush. He knew how I felt about him now._

_"That's too easy." He said, and leaned closer. "What's your darkest secret?"_

_"I killed my brother." I whispered._

_"Woah. Too dark." His tone was teasing, and I could have swore I saw him smirk, but his eyes widened, and he leaned away from me._

_I felt my heart jolt. I had never said it out loud. I shouldn't have said it out loud. Damon couldn't know. No one should know. My breathing became shallow. The room felt like it was spinning, and I kept looking around the walls for something to focus on. Damon put his hand under my chin and tilted my face so I was looking at him again._

_"Shh, it's okay." He whispered, running his hand up and down my neck. "There's no need to get upset."_

_His voice was so soothing. The second he spoke I felt calm. My heart rate slowed, and I took a deep breath. I just stared at him, into his eyes. Damon furrowed his brow, and looked down at the piece of jewelry dangling from his fingers. He nodded at it, as if it had spoken some secret to him that I couldn't hear. Gently, he lowered the necklace back into my hand._

_"Listen to me. You're going to put this back on, and you're not going to take it off if anyone asks you too." He instructed. "Forget that I asked you anything. I came over to get my jacket, told you that I thought your necklace looked like a family heirloom, and then we talked about Matt and Caroline's fight. Do you understand?"_

_I nodded, and slowly fastened my necklace back around my neck. I set my hands back down, and Damon placed his hand over mine. His thumb traced around the stone of his ring that was still on my finger. I looked at him, exploring his face intently._

_"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" I asked. "I just zoned out for a moment."_

I opened my eyes to see him studying me, waiting for a reaction. His hand was still holding my face. I pushed it away, and grasped at the air until I felt the metal of my necklace in my palm.

I took a step away from him. "You can leave."

"I'm not going anywhere." He said.

"Leave!" I repeated. "God, just leave. Or yell. Or something. Go ahead. Tell me what a goddamn hypocrite I am for ever getting angry with you for the things that you've done when this entire time you've known that I'm a murderer."

"Lucy," He shook his head. "No you're not."

"How can you say that?" I shot back. "I told you, _I killed my brother!_"

"Because I know you!" He shouted. "I know you, baby. I don't know what happened, but I know it wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was!" I screamed. "It was my fault. It was my fucking fault. I shouldn't have been driving. I shouldn't have tried to find my father in the first place. I never should have been on that bridge. It's my fault."

I sunk onto the steps. It was far too much to continue standing when I wasn't even sure how I was managing to exist in this moment. Damon sat next to me, putting one arm around me and grazing his fingertips along my forearm.

"Look at you." He said. "You're a mess. You didn't want this, not even a little bit. It was an accident. It's not your fault."

"My parents hate me." I cried.

"No they don't." He took my hand in his. "I've met your parents. They absolutely love you."

"How could they not?" I shot back. "They finally got to have the child they always wanted and now he's dead because of me. There wasn't even a proper funeral. We buried an empty casket."

"They don't hate you." He repeated. "I promise."

"Do you hate me?" I asked.

"No. No no no. Look at me Lucy." He pleaded. "I could never hate you. Never."

Damon brought his lips to the side of my head, resting there with me in his arms. And that was it. There was no doubt in my mind that Damon Salvatore was the one for me. This man who had lived multiple lifetimes plagued by darkness, who came into my life haunted and hollow, was prepared to swallow up every part of me, every shadow that lingered in my mind. I loved Damon Salvatore.

"Come on," He whispered. "Let's get you upstairs."

With a tenderness that only cemented every affection I had towards him in my heart, Damon picked me up and carried me to my bedroom. He brought me my favorite pair of sweatpants, and left me alone to change, returning with a glass of water. I rested my head against his torso, closing my eyes while he ran his hands over my hair.

"Stefan's back." He informed me. "Do you want me to go get Elena?"

_Elena. _"No. No Damon you can't. I can't see her."

"What? Why not?" Damon asked. "She knows. Lucy, you need her right now."

I shot up and began to pace around the room, clutching my sides. Damon might be able to accept me, but Elena would never be able to. Maybe if I were only responsible for the death of my brother, _her_ brother, whom I had denied her the chance of ever even meeting. But no. Her parents.

"Lucy," Damon placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me from moving around. "You're scaring me. What's wrong?"

"Elena." I whimpered. "Her parents. The bridge. There was another car. It was the same bridge. She'd never forgive me. I can't lose her, Damon."

"What? You think Elena and her parents were in the same car accident?" Damon asked.

"_It was the same bridge._" I repeated. "The same month. They told me there was another car-"

"It wasn't her parents." Damon cut me off.

I shook my head. "It's too much of a coincidence."

"It wasn't them." Damon insisted.

"How could you know that?" I sniffed.

"Because there wasn't another car when they went off the bridge." Stefan said.

I turned to see him standing in the doorway, Elena right behind him. "Stefan?"

"I'm sorry. I heard you from outside." Stefan explained. "I didn't mean to listen, but I couldn't let you believe that. It wasn't the same accident."

"Stefan was there, Lucy." Elena said. "He saved my life. You know that. There was no one else involved."

"No. That's not possible." I protested. "You're just saying that."

Stefan sighed. "Lucy, I care about you deeply, I really do. But I would not lie to Elena for your sake. I am telling you the truth. You weren't there."

I fell back onto my bed. Elena pushed Stefan aside and came over to sit next to me. She hugged me, and that was the comfort I needed. My sister. I didn't kill her parents. I could breathe.

"I can't believe you've been holding that in this entire time." She mumbled into my shoulder.

"I'm sorry." I said. "I didn't want to lie to you. I just couldn't lose you."

"No, that wouldn't happen." Elena broke the hug to meet my eye. "Lucy, even if you had been there, it wouldn't have been your fault. Just like it isn't your fault that Brandon died."

I pressed my hands against my eyes. "God, I really messed up with Jeremy."

"Jeremy's fine." Stefan assured me.

"I'll explain everything to him. If you want me to." Elena offered.

I nodded. Jeremy deserved to know why I completely froze up on him our first time hanging out as siblings. I wouldn't blame him if he never wanted to speak to me again.

"I think you need to go to bed." Elena suggested. "Scoot over."

"Excuse me?" Damon interjected. "I'm going to protest you on that one."

"Fine, Damon." Elena rolled her eyes. "You can crash our sleepover, just this once."

Damon grumbled something under his breath that caused a small smile to flash across Stefan's face, but laid down on the other side of me. While squished between two of the people I cared about most in the world and knowing that I no longer had any secrets to keep from them, I felt at least half of my turmoil from the evening begin to dissipate.

"Okay, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Stefan said.

"_Stefan._" I groaned. "Don't be annoying."

"Yeah, Stefan." Elena patted the little bit of empty bed beside her. "Don't be annoying."

Stefan grimaced. Clearly affection was not his strong suit if anyone other than Elena was involved. Come to think of it, Stefan probably had never even had a sleepover before. As reserved as he was, I strongly doubted it.

"Come on, Stef." Damon grinned. "It'll be just like when you made me sleep in your bed when you were five because you were scared of the dark. Only now we've got two smoking hot girls between us."

"I can leave." Elena warned.

"Even better." Damon countered.

I elbowed him. Elena laughed. So did Stefan. Then, he laid down in the little bit of available space, and right there, barely able to move in my own bed, I closed my eyes and drifted into the soundest sleep I'd had in almost a year.

* * *

_They'll get through, they'll get you_  
_In the place that you fear it the most_  
_In the corner, where it's warmer_  
_In the face that you wish was a ghost_


	27. Chapter 27 - Head Over Heels

**A/N: Hope you're all doing okay! We're getting so close to The Originals coming in and I'm SO excited. Definitely let me know your thoughts if you have time especially now that I'm starting to change a bit up. Xo, Eden. **

* * *

_Song: Head Over Heels_

_Artist: Digital Daggers_

_I wanted to be with you alone_  
_And talk about the weather_  
_But traditions I can trace against the child in your face_  
_Won't escape my attention_  
_You keep your distance with a system of touch_  
_And gentle persuasion_  
_I'm lost in admiration could I need you this much?_  
_You're wasting my time, you're just wasting time_

My bed was significantly emptier when I woke up. Damon was now the only person next to me, so I yawned and rolled over so I was resting against his chest. The smell of coffee had pulled me into consciousness, but I couldn't quite open my eyes yet. My head was pounding a little bit too much for sunlight at the moment.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." He murmured, bringing his lips to my forehead. "Or should I say good afternoon? Almost."

"What?" I sat up to look at my alarm clock. "Why didn't you wake me up? I have school."

"Who goes to school when their parents are out of town?" Damon scoffed. "Elena thought you two could use a day off. Enjoy it."

"You're in a good mood." I commented.

"Vampires don't get hangovers." He said.

"Ugh." I curled back up, pulling the blanket over my eyes. "If that's the case, then turn me into one right now."

"Or," Damon tugged at the blanket. "You could get up, eat something, drink some coffee, and you'll feel astronomically better without the side effect of immortality."

I stuck my tongue out at him, but let him drag me out of bed. Not that I really had the strength to resist being dragged out of bed by a vampire. We went into the kitchen, where Stefan was making waffles while Elena gazed at him with adoration in her eyes. This wasn't the worst way to wake up. Maybe I could convince my parents that we needed to hire Stefan to be a live-in chef.

"Good morning." Stefan greeted me. "Hope you don't mind us raiding your kitchen."

"As long as you put chocolate chips in my waffles, I won't report your thievery to the police." I said.

"Here." Elena handed me her mug. "You look like you need it more than I do."

"Is this a cappuccino?" I looked at the slightly neglected espresso machine that dad had given mom last Christmas. "You actually figured out how to work that thing?"

"Stefan did." Elena said.

I took a sip of the perfectly foamy beverage. "Elena, if you don't marry him, you're dead to me."

"So how are you feeling today?" Elena asked.

"Fine." I replied. "Can we not talk about it?"

"Lucy," Elena sighed. "It's not good to keep everything bottled up inside."

"I'm not saying I won't talk about it ever. I'm just saying since we apparently aren't going to school today, I just want to enjoy a long day of doing nothing with my friends." I said.

"A long day of doing nothing until four p.m. We have to help setup for the masquerade ball." Elena reminded me.

I groaned. "Why are we always signing up for these things?"

"We need community service hours to graduate." Elena said.

"Damon, can't you just compel the administration to let me graduate?" I asked.

Damon shook his head. "I only compel people to help you if it also benefits me. As a member of the Founder's Council, I have to be there, and it'll be a lot more fun for me if you're there too. Ergo, compulsion is a no-go."

"Worst boyfriend ever." I mumbled into my mug before taking a sip and then smiling sweetly up at Damon when I realized he had heard me.

"Elena and I should probably go separately today." Stefan said. "We never know who might be watching."

"How do you know Katherine isn't watching us right now?" I asked.

"Because right now, Katherine doesn't even know you exist." Damon said. "And we'd like to keep it that way."

"I didn't see any sign of her lurking around when I left last night." Stefan said. "Trust me, if there was any risk of leading her to your house, I wouldn't have come."

I nodded. As long as Katherine wasn't invited into my house, it was a safe zone for all of us. Since we still hadn't determined the risk of trying to compel my parents to ensure that Katherine never got such an invitation, the best way to make sure it didn't happen was to keep her away.

After eating the chocolate chip waffles that Stefan graciously made for me, I requested that he show me how to work the espresso machine. Much to my chagrin, Damon intercepted us, presenting me with a latte just to show me how easy it was to use. Alas, I got another cup of coffee out of the ordeal, which I took to the couch where I insisted we spend most of the afternoon. While channel surfing, Elena and I discovered that Stefan and Damon had never seen _Mean Girls_. As if it wasn't bad enough that they didn't own the DVD. Naturally we insisted that they watch it with us.

When Stefan and Elena departed to allow them time to arrive at the Lockwood's separately, I half expected Damon to immediately whiz me off to my bedroom. After all, we did have an entirely empty house to ourselves. Instead, he just pulled me into his lap, staying on the couch.

"Look at me. How are you really feeling today?" He asked.

"I'm fine." I replied.

"Tell me the truth." He said.

"No, really. I mean it." I placed a soft kiss along his jaw. "I feel better than I have in months. I don't have any more secrets."

"Mm. So you're not going to tell me that you and Elena are actually triplets with Matt Donovan or anything like that?" He questioned.

"You're the one who told us that we were twins." I reminded him. "So really I should be asking you if I have any other family members I should know about."

"Trust me, if I found out you were related to Matt Donovan, I would not keep that information to myself. That would be a dealbreaker for this relationship." He said.

I leaned my head against his shoulder. "Thank you."

"For what?" He asked.

"Everything. For being you. You've supported me unequivocally through every difficult moment I've encountered since the moment I met you. And despite everything, despite how serious and complicated our lives can be, you're the one person who can make me laugh at any time." I said.

"What, you mean Elena doesn't share your sense of humor? I'm shocked." He teased.

"Be serious." I lifted my head so I could look at him. "I mean it. Thank you."

"I'm the one who should thank you." He said. "You trust me. Even when no one else does. You have brought me happiness that I never thought I would get to experience during this existence. And I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that having me in your life has dragged you into this supernatural shitshow. But I can't be that sorry, because I'm selfish, and having me in your life means I get to have you in mine."

"You're not selfish." I replied.

"I am." He insisted. "If I wasn't, I'd tear off your necklace, compel you to forget about me, take Stefan, and get out of this town so you could live a normal life."

"Well then I guess I'm lucky you're selfish." I kissed him. "Besides, no one could have a normal life here. It's Mystic Falls. Even if you left, Bonnie would still be a witch, and Tyler could still become a werewolf at any moment."

"Tyler's not going to become a werewolf." Damon said.

"You don't know that." I replied.

"I do know that," He said. "Because to become a werewolf, he has to kill someone."

I stared at him. "What?"

"That's how the curse is triggered. By taking human life." He explained nonchalantly. "Mason told me the other day. Couldn't really figure out how to slip that one into casual conversation."

"Oh my god." I gaped at him. "So Mason . . ."

"Yeah." He nodded.

"That's why he didn't want to tell us how it was triggered. Wow." I said. "Did he tell you what happened?"

"No, and I didn't ask. He said even if you were driving and got in a wreck if the person in the passenger seat dies, then the curse is triggered." Damon told me.

So it didn't need to be premeditated or even intentional. Any death that could be construed as Tyler's fault would trigger the curse. My mind filled with ways that Tyler could trigger it. With his anger, and in this town, it wasn't a matter of if. It was a matter of when.

Damon cleared his throat. "Just in case it doesn't go without saying, don't talk to Mason about this."

"Have you told Stefan?" I asked.

"No, and I'm not going to." Damon said. "At least not for a while. Stefan still doesn't fully trust the guy, and I don't want to give him another reason not to."

"Speaking of Stefan, we should go." I said. "If we aren't there, he's not going to have anyone to talk to, seeing as he and Elena are pretending to be on the outs."

Damon laughed, always one to enjoy a jab at Stefan, but agreed that we should get going lest he lose the respect of the Founder's Council. It was almost comical that Damon was on the very council that was meant to protect the town from vampires, but it ensured his and Stefan's safety. I couldn't even imagine Damon sitting through a meeting led by Carol Lockwood.

When we got there, Stefan was setting up glasses at the bar. My assumption that he wouldn't have anyone to talk to was incorrect; Mason was standing there chatting with him. Both of them looked to be in good spirits. Maybe there was hope yet for them to form a friendship.

I picked up one of the glasses that Stefan had perfectly lined up on the bar. "One glass of chardonnay, please."

"Do not let Carol see you messing around with those." Mason grabbed the glass from me and put it back. "They're from her finest crystal set."

"Is the big bad wolf scared of his own sister-in-law?" Damon teased.

"She almost bit Tyler's head off a few minutes ago for not being careful enough with some antique table." Mason said. "If you ask me, stuff that's that important shouldn't be used for a party with hundreds of guests."

"I guess it's a good thing she didn't ask you then. I like fancy parties." I replied. "Hey, Bonnie!"

I waved to Bonnie, who was trying to shuffle past us. I was still determined to be her friend. We weren't _not_ friends; we just weren't fully friends yet. Granted, calling her over to a group that consisted of two vampires in a werewolf probably wasn't the best way to get on the witch's good side. She walked over to join us anyways, likely just not wanting to appear rude.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Bonnie greeted us.

"Great." I smiled. "Bonnie, have you met Mason before? He's Tyler's uncle."

"I'm not sure." She replied. "I'm sure our paths probably crossed a long time ago."

"Well, I'm Mason Lockwood." Mason held out his hand. "Nice to officially meet you."

Bonnie took his hand. "Bonnie. Bonnie Bennett."

Well, this was officially awkward. Bonnie gave Mason a very forced smile before pulling away from the handshake. Her eyes met mine for a moment, and I could almost feel the resentment for bringing her over here.

"So Mason, any ideas of what we can do to help?" I broke the silence.

Mason opened his mouth to answer, but Bonnie cut him off. "I was actually on my way inside to sort through decorations. I'm sure Carol would appreciate another set of hands."

"Yeah sure, I'll help." I said.

Mason, wanting to keep interaction with Carol Lockwood to a minimum, mumbled some feeble excuse about needing to carry more boxes. I elbowed Damon to go join him, knowing that his presence was not going to aid my friendship mission, before following Bonnie. When I went to walk into the house, Bonnie shook her head.

"I need to talk to you." She mumbled, looking over her shoulder. "Not here."

That can't be good. Hopefully she just wants to clear the remaining awkwardness between us. Once we were away from most of the volunteers, she abruptly stopped and turned to face me.

"Did Stefan and Elena break up?" She asked.

Shit. Elena hadn't filled Bonnie in on the whole Caroline spying for Katherine thing. I didn't want to flat out lie to Bonnie, but I couldn't risk her saying anything in casual conversation to Caroline that could make it's way back to Katherine.

"Um, they've been fighting a bit. About Katherine." I mumbled. "But I don't think they've called it quits."

Bonnie crossed her arms. "Would Elena cheat on Stefan?"

I recoiled. "What? Absolutely not. Never in a million years."

"Are you sure?" She questioned.

"I'm positive. Why?" I asked.

"When I touch other supernatural beings, I sometimes get feelings or visions. With Stefan and Damon it's usually this overwhelming feeling of death." Bonnie took a deep breath. "But when I shook Mason's hand I saw something. Elena. He was kissing Elena."

"What? That's not possible. Can your visions be wrong? There's no way that Elena . . ." I trailed off, remembering the last time that "Elena" was behaving erratically. "It was Katherine. Bonnie, I have to go."

"Wait-"

I shook my head. "Damon trusts him."

I took off back towards the Lockwood house. I could hear my blood rushing in my ears. There was no way that Mason was going to hurt Damon. Not right now, not in broad daylight. If Mason wanted to hurt him he had plenty of opportunities to do so this week. But Damon thought that Mason was his friend. He had already divulged secrets to Mason. Who knows what information had made its way back to Katherine already. We couldn't risk him sharing anything else.

Damnit. Stefan was right. We couldn't trust Mason. I shouldn't have trusted Mason. I shouldn't have pushed Damon to befriend him. He wasn't going to take this very well. Not that I was taking it well. I was absolutely seething. I finally found Damon by his car, and Mason was with him, laughing and joking as if everything was fine.

"You asshole!" I shoved Mason away from Damon.

Mason held up his hands. "Wha-"

I brought my fist to his jaw, letting some of my rage out with a satisfying punch. Mason snarled at me. I could've sworn I saw a glint of yellow in his eyes. Damon wrapped his arms around my front, restraining me from getting another punch in.

"Whoa, whoa." Stefan, evidently having noticed the commotion, rushed to step in front of Mason, barring him from lunging at me. "What's going on here?"

"He knows Katherine!" I yelled, still wriggling against Damon's grip. "He's dating her. He's just here as her little spy."

Stefan rounded on Mason. "Is that true?"

Mason nodded. "I've been seeing a girl named Katherine. You know her?"

"Don't play dumb." I hissed.

Stefan already had Mason in a chokehold. Damon let go of me to get between them, tearing Stefan's hands away from Mason's throat. I took a step back, knowing that this tussle was way above my strength level

"You can't be serious." Stefan glared at Damon. "You're going to defend him? _He's working with Katherine._"

"Easy brother." Damon said. "I don't think this is the place for this conversation. What do you say we head back to our place for a little chat?"

Stefan hesitated, but finally nodded. "Mason, follow me. Damon, drive behind him. Don't even think for one second on running. I will have your heart out of your chest before you can even finish making a wrong turn."

Mason looked confused, but seeing as the alternative was to continue a physical altercation with a vampire with much more strength than him, he accepted. Not saying a word, Damon pushed me into his car, driving off and following directly behind Mason. He was completely avoiding my gaze.

"Damon I'm sorry I-" I started.

"Don't." Damon gritted his teeth. "Not right now."

I sighed, reaching for his hand that was clenched over the steering wheel. At least he didn't pull away when I wrapped my fingers around his. He had every right to be mad at me. I was so intent on helping him be good that I didn't even stop to consider that I might be encouraging him to fraternize with the enemy. This wasn't going to help his trust issues.

I had to give it to Mason; he was a really good actor. The second we walked through the front door of the Salvatore house he turned to Damon still donning a befuddled expression and tried to ask what was going on, but Damon just snapped and instructed him to sit down before storming upstairs. I had a feeling he didn't want to be followed.

"How do you know Katherine?" Stefan demanded.

"I met her like a year ago in Florida. She's been in my life off and on since." Mason answered. "What's the big deal?"

Stefan crossed his arms. "What does she have you doing for her?"

"I'm not doing anything for her. _She's_ helping _me_." Mason said. "Seriously, what is going on? How do you know Katherine?"

Damon came back downstairs, clutching a small piece of paper. He slammed it on the table in front of Mason, and I craned my neck to see it was the old, faded photo of Katherine that I had found in Damon's bedroom once. Mason picked up the photograph, eyeing it warily.

"That's Katherine, in 1864." Damon said.

Mason set the photo back down. "I know, she's a vampire. Shocker."

"That's her, in 1864," Damon continued. "The year that she turned my brother and I into vampires."

Mason blinked. "Katherine's the vampire that turned you?"

"That's not even the best part." Damon's eyes narrowed. "That's also the same year that she sacrificed all of her vampire friends to the town council so that she could fake her own death, leading me to believe she was trapped in a tomb for the past century in a half, when really she was just out running free and couldn't be bothered to check in on the two boys she claimed to love."

"No. No way." Mason shook his head. "Katherine wouldn't do that. She's not like that."

"Did you not find it at all suspicious that Katherine looks just like Elena, your childhood friend's niece?" Stefan asked. "That you claim you're dating her, and yet she's never once accompanied you to an event in town?"

"She told me that Elena is her descendent." Mason said. "She doesn't come into town because she doesn't want to risk anyone mistaking her for Elena."

I crossed my arms. "She had no problem being mistaken for Elena when she kissed my boyfriend and then tried to kill my biological father."

Mason looked at me, dumbfounded. "She _what?_"

"Let me ask you something, if she doesn't want to come into town then why is she lurking around here at all?" Damon questioned.

"I told you, she's helping me." Mason replied.

"Helping you with what?" Damon pressed.

"Katherine knows how to break the werewolf curse." Mason said.

"The curse of the sun and the moon." I mumbled.

Mason nodded. "Once it's broken I won't have to turn on the full moon anymore."

"And what's in it for her?" Damon countered. "Katherine doesn't do anything for anyone. Not unless she gets something out of it."

"Nothing's in it for her. She's helping me because she loves me." Mason answered.

Damon groaned. "Great. I didn't just befriend a traitor, I befriended an _idiot_ traitor."

Damon grabbed the bourbon that was perpetually resting on the coffee table before sinking onto the couch next to me. He didn't even bother with a glass; he just started drinking straight out of the bottle. I couldn't tell which of the three men in the room looked the most shell shocked right now.

"How did we miss this?" Damon asked.

"You tell me." Stefan shot back. "You're the one who's been all buddy-buddy with him."

"Sorry I didn't feel the need to rehash the details of our psycho ex girlfriend to a guy I met a week ago." Damon sneered.

"Guys," Mason cut in. "I'm right here."

"Right." Damon nodded. "Then let's get one thing straight. _Katherine doesn't love you_. Just like she doesn't love me, just like she doesn't love Stefan, and just like she doesn't love anyone but herself. The sooner you can wrap your dog brain around that, the better off you'll be."

"You sound like a jealous ex." Mason said. "Just because she didn't love you, doesn't mean she's incapable of love."

"Katherine's the jealous ex!" I shouted, frustrated that he didn't believe us. "She threatened to kill everyone Elena cares about if Stefan doesn't break up with her."

"You're lying!" Mason yelled back.

I reached out to rest my hand on Damon's leg, preemptively trying to stop him from lunging at Mason. As much as I shared his anger right now, I also didn't want to see him kill Mason. Especially not when we weren't even sure if Mason was just another one of Katherine's pawns.

"Damon," I tried to keep my voice calm. "It's not his fault. She's manipulating him."

Damon snapped to look at me. "So you believe him? That he didn't know any of this?"

"Is it really so hard to believe that Katherine would seduce someone else so that she could use them for her own personal bidding?" Stefan asked.

"She's not using me!" Mason shouted. "I already told you, she's helping me."

"Okay then," Damon clenched his jaw. "Humor me for a minute. This moon curse that Katherine knows how to break . . . what do you need to break it?"

"It's a standard spell." Mason hesitated for a moment. "You need a witch, a celestial event, and a moonstone."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "A moonstone?"

"That was the hard part. But I finally found it. So no worries, we'll just stick around until the next full moon, break the curse, and be on our way." Mason said.

"You found the moonstone?" Damon asked. "Tell me you didn't give it to her."

"What's the significance of a moonstone?" I whispered to Damon.

"I don't know but if Katherine wants it then I don't want her to have it." Damon hissed.

"Where is it?" Stefan asked, ignoring me and Damon.

"It's safe." Mason replied.

"Safe?" Damon repeated. "Safe better not mean 'with Katherine.'"

"Safe means somewhere where no vampire can get it." Mason said. "Not even Katherine."

"See, you know not to trust her." Damon gave Mason a sardonic smile. "You catch on quick."

"I-I don't believe you." Mason's tone was unconvincing. "I _do_ trust her. I love her. I-"

Mason didn't get the chance to finish that thought; he was interrupted by a loud ring. He sheepishly pulled his phone out of his pocket. Katherine was calling him. He went to decline the call, but Stefan and Damon were both at his side immediately.

"Answer it." Damon said. "Come on, let's have a little chat. We'll see her reaction, and then you'll know we're telling the truth."

Mason answered the call, pressing the speaker button.

"Mason." Katherine spoke before Mason even had the chance to. She really sounded just like Elena. "Can you be here at five?"

"Not even going to say hello to me." Damon tutted. "How rude."

"Damon?" Katherine's voice wavered. "I assume Mason is with you?"

"He is." Damon replied. "Oh, and your real boy toy is here too. Say hi, Stef!"

Stefan shook his head, glaring at Damon. Clearly Stefan did not share Damon's desire to taunt Katherine. The look on Mason's face had me severely regretting my anger towards him. I pulled my legs up to my chest, knowing that this was a conversation I should stay out of.

"Hello Stefan." Katherine said sweetly. "I hope Elena isn't with you."

"Katherine." Mason growled. "You told me you didn't know any of the vampires in town."

"I didn't know th-"

"Save it. I assume that means everything else they told me is true? Do you even know how to break the werewolf curse?" Mason asked.

"Don't let them fill your head with lies." Katherine replied. "Of course I know how to break the curse. I'm just waiting for you to give me the moonstone."

"And why do I need to give it to you? Why can't I just give it to the witch when they break the curse?" Mason asked. Katherine remained silent. "Exactly. Because there is no curse. You just made that up, so you could use some werewolf desperate not to turn on the full moon anymore to do your bidding."

"There is a curse-"

"Save it." Mason growled.

"Where is the moonstone?" Katherine demanded. "Where is it?"

"It's at the bottom of a well full of vervain. Good luck getting it now." Mason spat.

"You're going to regret this. All of you will regret this." Katherine warned. "Damon, for once, you should have minded your own business."

"Stay out of my life and I'll stay out of yours, Kitty-Kat." Damon taunted her.

"You have no idea what you've done." Katherine hung up with a click.

Mason launched his phone across the room. It bounced off of the brick fireplace, letting out a loud crunching noise, before landing in the ashes that were dusted around the hearth. Just like that, Katherine Pierce had broken another heart.

"Mason." Stefan edged closer to Mason cautiously. "Look, I know you've got a lot to process right now, but it's only a matter of time before Katherine gets the moonstone. She's been building up a tolerance to vervain, and even if she can't get it herself she'll find someone who can. Where is that well?"

"It's on the edge of my family's property." Mason spat out. "Take it. Just make damn sure she never gets it."

I jumped up. "Elena's still there. I'll call her."

Stefan looked like he wanted to protest, but ultimately decided against it, knowing that he couldn't do anything to get the moonstone. I pulled out my phone and dialed Elena, praying that she would pick up. Damon handed Mason a glass and filled it halfway using the bottle he had been drinking from.

"Lucy?" Elena answered the call. "Where are you? I've been looking all over for you."

"I'm at Stefan and Damon's." I said. "Something came up. Look, I'll explain everything later but right now I need you to do something. Any chance you know where a well is on the Lockwood property?"

"Yeah I think so. Bonnie, Caroline and I used to play-" Elena stopped talking. "Yeah, Caroline said she knows where it is."

"Caroline's there?" I didn't do a very good job at hiding my contempt.

"She's here. It's okay, we've been talking. She told me everything; Katherine threatened Matt." Elena said.

"Okay whatever." At this point I was just relaying information that Katherine knew anyways. "Look, at the bottom of the well there's a moonstone. Katherine wants it and we don't know why, so we need it."

"We?" Elena interrupted. "Who all is there?"

"Elena, really, I promise I will come over and explain everything later, but right now we need that stone." I said. "You have to be the one to get it, not Caroline. The well is full of vervain."

"Right." Elena replied. "I'll find Bonnie. She can help."

Elena hung up, and I slipped my phone back into my pocket. From the expression on the three boys' faces, they were all able to hear Elena on the other end of the line and I didn't need to repeat the conversation. I sat back down next to Damon, eyeing Mason as he nursed the glass that Damon had given him.

"I'm sorry I punched you." I said.

Mason let out a bitter laugh. "It's okay. It didn't hurt."

"I take offense to that. Nevermind, I'm not sorry." I said.

"Seriously, that was a weak punch." A half smile formed on Mason's face. "You'd better keep Damon around, since you can't hold your own."

"Not like anyone would ever want to hurt me." I smiled back sweetly. "I'm very likeable."

"Oh I think if she knew about you Kath-" Damon trailed off, looking apologetically at Mason. "Nevermind. Sorry, man."

Mason shrugged. "It's alright."

I shifted around on the couch, trying to look anywhere but Mason's hurt face. Stefan sat down next to me, and I could tell by the way he was tapping his leg that he was worried about Elena. I was too. I just had to hope that Katherine didn't find the well while Elena was there. Besides, Elena had Bonnie _and_ Caroline with her.

"You know what the worst part of this is?" Mason broke the silence. "For the first time since I triggered the werewolf curse, I was finally starting to feel like I had my life under control. I'm back near my family, I had a girlfriend who I thought loved me, and I actually have friends here, friends who I don't have to hide who I am from."

"There aren't like . . . packs, or anything?" I asked, realizing too late that perhaps this wasn't the best time to inquire about the semantics of being a werewolf.

Mason shrugged. "I found some wolves in Florida. They're alright, but I really only stuck around because I needed them. They taught me how to keep myself under control when I transition. But I don't know, I just feel like I have this aimless existence now."

"Trust me, I know what that feels like." Damon said.

Visions of the empty man I had met at the grill my first night in Mystic Falls once again filled my head, and I reached for Damon's hand. Currently, Mason looked very similar to how Damon had looked that night. How could Katherine just not care about the people she left broken?

"You have your people." I told Mason. "Katherine just isn't one of them."

Mason sighed. "I just don't get why she would use me out of all people. You would think she wouldn't even want a werewolf around."

"Bad luck, brother." Damon said.

"Wait a minute. The moonstone. Where did you find it?" Stefan asked.

"Tyler found it, but I don't know where exactly. I just know my brother had it." Mason replied.

Stefan shook his head. "It wasn't bad luck. She sought you out. George Lockwood helped her fake her own death in 1864. When I asked why, she said she gave him something he wanted desperately. What if it was the moonstone?"

"Then it's obviously important enough that she knew it would've stayed in the family for all these years and that Mason would be able to get it." Damon said.

"And it's important enough to make her come back to Mystic Falls after all these years." I said. "How could something be so important to both a vampire and to werewolves?"

Damon groaned. "And we're right back to 'what the hell is a moonstone?'"

"I don't know, but if Katherine said it can break the werewolf curse, I can guarantee it doesn't do that." Mason replied.

"Oh, if I had a dollar for every lie that Katherine Pierce told." Damon said.

"Pierce?" Mason rolled his eyes. "She told me her last name was Peters. Of course even her name was a lie."

"Her real name is Katerina Petrova." I said, as if it mattered

"And what's the real reason that Elena looks exactly like her?" Mason asked.

"As far as we know, she told the truth about that." Stefan said. "Elena and Lucy are descendants of Katherine's."

"Aren't you twins? Why aren't you carbon copy number three?" Mason asked.

"I don't know. I'll look it up next time I'm in the vampire genealogy section of the library." I said.

Truth be told, I wasn't sure I wanted to know. If anything, I should just be thankful that I don't share Elena and Katherine's uncanny resemblance to one another. Katherine wreaked enough havoc pretending to be Elena for just one night, who knows what she would do if she was capable of imitating both of us.

Mason didn't have time to formulate an equally snarky reply. There was a loud knock at the door; Elena and Bonnie must have gotten the moonstone already. I got up from the couch, took three steps, and ran into Damon, who apparently felt it was necessary to speed right in front of me.

"You're not answering the door." He said. "It could be Katherine."

"Katherine wouldn't knock." I said.

That must have been a convincing point, as Damon allowed me to step around him, though he did remain directly behind me as I walked to the door. I was right. Well, half right. I pulled open the door to see Bonnie and Caroline, but no Elena.

"We come bearing a moonstone." Bonnie held up an iridescent white stone.

"Where's Elena?" I asked.

"She went home. You know, keeping up appearances and all that." Caroline answered.

"Right. Come on in." I stepped back, and Damon mumbled something about me inviting people into his home.

Caroline peered past me into the living room. "Are you sure Mason can be trusted?"

"Are you sure you're really in a position to be talking about trust right now?" I said coolly.

"Elena already told you! Katherine threatened Matt. I didn't have a choice!" Caroline protested.

"You could have made the choice to tell us sooner." I said.

"Enough." Bonnie set her icy gaze upon me. "If Damon lied to protect you, or if Stefan lied to protect Elena, you'd excuse it."

I sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry, Caroline."

"No, I'm sorry. She's just so scary. Friends?" Caroline asked.

I nodded, and she pulled me into a hug. I couldn't really tell if this was part of the heightened emotions thing that came along with vampirism, or if this was just Caroline being Caroline. The hug was almost painful; she still wasn't quite aware of her own strength. She pushed me away from her with so much force that I would have fallen over had she not shoved me in the direction of Damon. I looked back at Caroline to see that her eyes had turned red and the veins around them had darkened.

"Woah. Need a drink?" Damon asked.

"No." Caroline closed her eyes, and when she opened them they were back to normal. "Just maybe no hugging humans for a little while. Now I see why Stefan had such a hard time resisting your blood."

I cringed, and when I turned to walk into the living room, I saw that Stefan had heard the comment as well. I didn't know that Caroline knew that Stefan attacked me. Stefan must have divulged that information in some attempt to make her feel better about her own bloodlust.

Bonnie placed the moonstone on the coffee table and took a seat in one of the armchairs by the fireplace. Peering over at the stone, I really couldn't gather what was so special about it. Curiosity got the best of me and I picked it up. It fit perfectly in the palm of my hand, and while it was an exceptionally smooth stone that contained a myriad of colors in the light, it seemed just as ordinary as any rock I could find in a geology exhibit.

"Be careful with that." Bonnie warned. "It carries a lot of magic."

"How can you tell?" Damon questioned.

"When I touch it, I can just feel it." Bonnie replied.

Damon closed his hand over mine and pulled the moonstone out of my grasp. "Feel what?"

"I don't know. Darkness. Violence. Pain. I think it was used to seal something. Something bad." Bonnie said.

"What, like another tomb full of vampires that have been desiccating for over a century?" Damon retorted.

Bonnie shook her head. "Sealed doesn't have to mean a physical barrier. Take your ring for example; the spell that gives you protection from the sun is sealed within the lapis lazuli stone. If you take the ring off, the magic no longer protects you."

"So you're saying this moonstone could have been used to seal a spell. A dark spell." Stefan said.

"Like a curse?" Mason's voice was hopeful.

"It could be." Bonnie said. "I can't be certain."

I stared at the moonstone. "What if it really was used to seal the curse of the sun and the moon?"

"No. No way. If it was that simple, why hasn't anyone broken the curse by now?" Damon asked.

"What if they didn't have everything they needed?" Caroline suggested.

Bonnie nodded. "More complex spells usually need to be powered by a celestial event. The rarer the event, the more powerful the spell can be."

"Thank you Emily for making me wait over a hundred years for the comet." Damon muttered.

"I mean, it's the curse of the sun _and_ the moon. That's the moonstone. Where's the sun part?" Caroline said.

That's where the theory started to fall apart. Vampires didn't seem to be too hindered by the sunlight. Stefan, Damon, and Caroline lived incredibly normal lives, all things considered. Katherine also had some sort of daylight jewelry. It didn't make sense that she'd want to break a curse that would help werewolves just so she could forego wearing a piece of jewelry. Unless . . .

"George Lockwood didn't break the curse because that was part of the deal." I said. "He agreed not to break the curse in his lifetime, and none of his descendants ever broke it because none of them ever triggered the curse. Until Mason."

Stefan nodded. "They wouldn't have broken the curse without need because it would have also allowed their enemies to walk in the sun."

"Why hasn't Katherine tried to break the curse before now?" Bonnie asked.

"Because she's Katherine. Hello? She has one of these." Caroline pointed to her daylight ring.

"She doesn't need it broken, and Katherine sure as hell isn't going to do anything just to help other vampires out of the goodness of her own heart." Damon said.

Mason slammed his now empty glass down on the coffee table. "Then why did she want the damn thing back at all?"

"Katherine doesn't want the moonstone so she can break the curse." I said. "Katherine wants it so she can make sure the curse is never broken. If she can ensure that the curse is never broken, it minimizes the danger that werewolves pose to her."

"Minimizing the danger by guaranteeing that all werewolves turn on the full moon?" Mason questioned.

"The lady who told us about the curse said it made it so werewolves could only change on the full moon. Theoretically, if the curse is broken, they can change whenever they want." I said.

Mason shook his head. "When you change, every bone in your body breaks. Trust me, no wolf would do that willingly. Breaking that curse would all but render werewolves extinct, no one would turn anymore. Not on the full moon, not ever."

I fell silent once again. Mason had made it very clear that he didn't want to be a werewolf, I just hadn't considered why. It made sense that transforming into a completely different species would be immensely painful, as if it wasn't bad enough to not have any control over the transformation.

"I have to admit, even for Katherine it would have been a hell of a gamble to hope that the Lockwood's wouldn't break the curse before she could get the stone again." Damon said.

"Unless she knew they were waiting on a specific celestial event." Bonnie stood up. "We're not getting anywhere. I'm going to go read through my grandmother's grimoires. Emily knew Katherine; maybe she knew something about the moonstone and wrote it down."

"I'll come with!" Caroline seemed eager to leave. Not that I could blame her, there were about twenty different layers of awkwardness in the room right now.

"Someone should call Ric." I looked pointedly at Damon. "He must've read something at some point that could be helpful."

"Already texted him." Damon held up his phone. "He's tied up for the evening. Dinner at the Gilbert's."

"History lessons will have to wait, I guess." I said. "Thank you Bonnie, Caroline. I'll see you guys soon."

"Tomorrow, right?" Bonnie asked.

"It's not too late to ditch Damon and go to the ball with us girls." Caroline suggested.

Damon made a noise that I think was supposed to be a chuckle but came out as more of a growl. Bonnie and Caroline expedited their departure, waving goodbye to us all. Then it was just me, Stefan, Damon, Mason, and the moonstone.

Mason gestured towards the stone. "Are you just going to leave that there?"

"Hell no." Damon snatched it up. "I've got a good place for it."

"And where might that be?" Stefan asked.

"Don't you worry yourself over it, Stefan." Damon said. "The fewer people who know the better."

"You should hide it at my house." I said.

"How do you figure?" Damon asked.

"Katherine can walk in here anytime she pleases, and she's already been invited into Elena's house as well. Unless you plan on standing guard twenty-four seven, you should keep it in the house that, according to you, she doesn't even know exists." I explained.

Mason nodded. "I'm sold."

"You don't even have to tell me where you hid it. That way she can't rip off my necklace and compel me to get it for her or anything." I said.

Damon and Stefan both grimaced at the mention of Katherine compelling me, but after a moment of silent council they looked back at me and nodded. The moonstone would be Katherine-proofed. It was the least we could do to her after everything she had done to us.

"I should probably take you home anyways. Katherine's unpredictable on the best of days; I don't want you here if she decides to pay us a visit." Damon said. "Frankly, I'm surprised the bitch hasn't shown up here already."

"Actually I promised Elena I would come over and fill her in on everything." My phone rang, and I pulled it out to see that Elena was calling me. "See, she's probably calling to see where I am. Hey Elena I'm about to lea-"

"Lucy thank god! Are you okay?" Elena asked.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" I replied.

"I'm at the hospital." Stefan heard Elena and was immediately by my side, leaning closer to the phone to hear what she said next. "It's Jenna. Katherine compelled her t-to stab herself."

I could feel the blood drain from my face. "Oh my god."

Elena sniffed. "The doctors said that she's lucky, and that she's going to be okay, but Lucy . . ."

"I know." This is exactly what she was afraid of.

"Why didn't she call us?" Damon hissed. "Jenna would've been fine in two seconds."

"Oh yeah, let's heal someone else with your blood. Give Katherine the chance to turn another person I love into a vampire." Elena snapped.

"That's not what he meant." I motioned for Damon to be quiet. "What floor are you on? I'll be right there."

"No, don't!" Elena's voice came out a near-yell. "Stay there. I know you're safe right now. I have Jeremy and Alaric here with me. We'll be okay."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I'm sure." Elena said. "I need to come over there once Jenna's out of surgery. I'll see you then."

"To the Salvatore's? But what if Kather-"

"Katherine knows, Lucy. She knows that Stefan and I were only pretending to fight. That's why she did it." Elena was crying again. "I should go. I'll see you soon."

Elena hung up the phone, leaving us stunned on the other end. We knew that Katherine was going to retaliate in some way, but Jenna? Jenna didn't deserve this. She shouldn't be involved in any of this.

I leaned into Damon, letting him wrap his arms around me. Too much was wrong in our world right now, but at least I could find some comfort in his embrace. I looked over Damon's shoulder and locked eyes with Stefan. There was a mixture of emotions etched upon his face, and none of them were good ones.

"Stefan," I pulled away from Damon. "It's not your fault."

Damon turned around. "Come on, Stef. You guys couldn't have known she would do this."

"But we knew she would do something!" Stefan said. "She promised as much. _I_ should have known better."

"I'm the one who riled her up." Damon said. "If you want to blame anyone, blame me."

"I think we all did our fair share of pissing Katherine off." Mason said. "Except for Lucy. I don't think I've ever seen you keep your mouth shut for so long."

Damon was starting to rub off on him. I may not have spoken to Katherine, but I definitely contributed to her rampage. If I hadn't confronted Mason at the Lockwood's, perhaps we'd all be having a very different conversation right now.

Stefan shook his head. "I was supposed to protect Elena. I promised her."

Stefan walked off in the direction of the study, leaving the rest of us in uncomfortable silence. If he blamed himself for Jenna getting hurt, I could only assume that Elena felt the same way. It wasn't fair to either of them, for Katherine to think that she can show up after a hundred and fifty years and decide what they do with their lives.

Mason cleared his throat. "Well, as fun as this has been, I think it's well past time I get out of here."

"You gonna be okay, man?" Damon asked.

"Yeah, sure." Mason's tone of voice was very unconvincing. "See ya."

Damon just gave Mason a nod as he left. The moment the front door shut, Damon let himself sink back onto the couch, eyes glued to the doorway to the study. I sat down next to him and placed a hand on his arm. He let out a deep exhale and took my hand into his.

"He blames himself for not protecting Elena from Katherine." Damon said, after a moment. "But I should have protected _him_ from Katherine."

"Don't say tha-"

"It's true." He said. "I was so wrapped up in my feelings for her I didn't even stop to consider what she was doing to him."

I squeezed his hand. "You were just as much a victim of her as he was."

He shook his head. "I wanted this. He didn't. She forced it on him."

"Yeah you "wanted" this because of lies that Katherine fed to you, because of promises she made that she had no intention of keeping."

"He was seventeen, Lucy." Damon's voice was barely above a whisper. "And now he's going to be seventeen forever."

There was nothing I could say that would convince Damon otherwise. I knew that. I just reached out to touch his face and kissed him. Back when I first met him, he would have just pretended not to care that Jenna got hurt. Or maybe he would have actually just not cared. But now he had convinced himself that it was his fault, that everything Katherine had ever done to Stefan was his fault. As if Damon could have known any better than Stefan did who Katherine really was. He was going to carry that with him always. So I just kissed him.

* * *

_My mother and my brothers used to breathe in clean in air_  
_And dreaming I'm a doctor_  
_It's hard to be a man when there's a gun in your hand_

_Something happens and I'm head over heels_  
_I never find out till I'm head over heels_  
_Something happens and I'm head over heels_  
_Don't take my heart, don't break my heart_  
_Don't throw it away_


End file.
